Home / Welding Schools / Illinois / Chicago area
Welding Schools in the Chicago area
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area
Programs
23
in the metro area
Median pay here
$52,650
welders, cutters, solderers and brazers, BLS May 2025
Lowest listed cost
$14,356
of 3 with a cost, IPEDS
Welding Schools in the Chicago area at a glance
- Open to the public
- 23 programs: 19 at colleges and schools (IPEDS), 4 known only from the WIOA list
- Distance from Chicago
- none within 10 miles; nearest 268.3 miles, farthest 5731.8 miles
- Listed program cost
- 3 of 23 list one: $14,356 to $29,781, middle $23,100 (IPEDS)
- Program length
- 3 colleges list a length: 9 months to 12 months (IPEDS)
- Length on the WIOA list
- 19 listed programs give weeks: 16 to 144 weeks full time
- Completions, 2023-24
- 851 welding awards at the 17 colleges that reported any (IPEDS)
- On the WIOA list
- 19 of 23 on Illinois's eligible training list (DOL file, June 30, 2025); middle 82% of exiters employed in the second quarter (5 report it)
- Pay here
- $52,650 median for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers ($25.31 an hour); 10th to 90th percentile $39,130 to $74,450; 9,320 employed in the metro area; Illinois median $51,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Welding programs, nearest to Chicago first
| Program | Where | Type | Program cost | Length | Completions | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education Design Development & Research Corporation - RAP ChicagoWIOA list | Chicago | WIOA list only | Not reported | Not reported | 268.3 | |
| South Suburban CollegeWIOA list | South Holland | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 8 | 269.0 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College | Chicago | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 20 | 269.6 |
| Prairie State CollegeWIOA list | Chicago Heights | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 10 | 270.4 |
| Mi-jack Products RapWIOA list | Markham | WIOA list only | Not reported | Not reported | 272.6 | |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College | Chicago | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | 273.8 |
| Morton CollegeWIOA list | Cicero | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 5 | 275.7 |
| Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose ParkWIOA list | Melrose Park | Certificate | $29,781 | 11 months | 45 | 279.2 |
| Triton CollegeWIOA list | River Grove | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 37 | 279.7 |
| Moraine Valley Community CollegeWIOA list | Palos Hills | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 89 | 279.8 |
| Oakton College | Des Plaines | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | 282.0 |
| ETI School of Skilled TradesWIOA list | Willowbrook | Certificate | $14,356 | 12 months | 93 | 284.8 |
| College of Lake CountyWIOA list | Grayslake | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 118 | 290.2 |
| College of DuPageWIOA list | Glen Ellyn | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 25 | 291.6 |
| William Rainey Harper CollegeWIOA list | Palatine | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 93 | 291.9 |
| Illinois Welding School Inc.WIOA list | Romeoville | WIOA list only | Not reported | Not reported | 292.6 | |
| Universal Technical Institute of Illinois IncWIOA list | Lisle | Certificate | $23,100 | 9 months | 117 | 293.3 |
| Joliet Junior CollegeWIOA list | Joliet | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 43 | 298.5 |
| Elgin Community CollegeWIOA list | Elgin | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 52 | 304.5 |
| McHenry County College | Crystal Lake | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 46 | 307.7 |
| Waubonsee Community CollegeWIOA list | Sugar Grove | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 40 | 311.6 |
| Kishwaukee CollegeWIOA list | Malta | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 10 | 333.1 |
| Danville Metal Stamping Co. Inc.WIOA list | Danville | WIOA list only | Not reported | Not reported | 5731.8 |
- College programs, cost and completions: IPEDS complete data files, 2024-25 collection, read October 8, 2026.
- WIOA list: DOL TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (ETA-9171), read October 8, 2026.
- Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, read October 8, 2026.
Paying for training
- WIOA in Illinois: 3,233 programs are on the state's list in the U.S. DOL file, 128 of them Welding.
- Pell Grants for short programs
- Workforce Pell
- GI Bill