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CDL & Truck Driving Schools in Illinois
20 schools in Illinois offer CDL & truck driving-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 27 registered apprenticeship programs in Illinois train CDL & truck driving apprentices — see apprenticeships.
Occupation pay is what working CDL & truck driving professionals in Illinois earn (all experience levels) — school "earnings" figures above are medians for each school's recent federally-aided students across all its programs, which read lower.
CDL & Truck Driving licensing in Illinois: State license required
Illinois CDLs are issued by the Secretary of State's Driver Services Department. You must be at least 18 to drive in-state and 21 for interstate routes, pass the written test for a commercial learner's permit, hold it 14 days, complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training, and pass the 3-part skills test. Illinois also licenses and regulates the commercial driver training schools themselves, so verify a school is both state-licensed and on the federal Training Provider Registry.
Official source: Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services Department · Exam: CDL written/knowledge test(s) for the CLP plus the 3-part CDL skills test (appointments scheduled through the Secretary of State's CDL scheduling system) · Typical requirement: At least 18 years old for intrastate driving, 21 for interstate or hazmat; valid Illinois driver's license; DOT medical certificate; commercial learner's permit (CLP) held at least 14 days; FMCSA ELDT from a Training Provider Registry school for first-time Class A/B; the Secretary of State separately licenses commercial driver training schools operating in Illinois
Official license records related to CDL & truck driving in Illinois
From the U.S. Department of Labor's License Finder — these may include contractor, specialty, or related licenses beyond entry-level requirements:
- COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERATOR) — Illinois Secretary of State Department of Driver Services~Commercial Driver Training Section
- DRIVER — Illinois Racing Board
- OWNER/TRAINER/DRIVER — Illinois Racing Board
- Commercial Drivers License (CDL) — Driver Services Department
- DRIVER/TRAINER — Illinois Racing Board
- DRIVER TRAINING INSTRUCTOR — Illinois Secretary of State Department of Driver Services~Commercial Driver Training Section
Wage and license data provided by CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and Minnesota DEED.
Schools, ranked by earnings per tuition dollar
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joliet Junior College | Joliet | public | $1,672 | 20.4% | $42,889 |
| Illinois Valley Community College | Oglesby | public | $2,232 | 37.2% | $40,810 |
| Lewis and Clark Community College | Godfrey | public | $3,349 | 50% | $37,724 |
| Spoon River College | Canton | public | $3,415 | 42.1% | $38,386 |
| Richland Community College | Decatur | public | $3,741 | 31.3% | $38,793 |
| Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield | public | $4,299 | 39.4% | $38,479 |
| Shawnee Community College | Ullin | public | $4,162 | 42.1% | $32,999 |
| Elgin Community College | Elgin | public | $6,026 | 32.5% | $45,516 |
| Danville Area Community College | Danville | public | $4,777 | 35.2% | $34,867 |
| Highland Community College | Freeport | public | $5,713 | 36.6% | $37,928 |
| Kaskaskia College | Centralia | public | $6,477 | 39.1% | $38,801 |
| John Wood Community College | Quincy | public | $7,050 | 42.1% | $38,631 |
| Sauk Valley Community College | Dixon | public | $8,493 | 47.3% | $40,458 |
| Parkland College | Champaign | public | $8,048 | 29.5% | $38,320 |
| Rend Lake College | Ina | public | $9,187 | 55.8% | $35,775 |
| Illinois Eastern Community Colleges | Olney | public | $10,092 | 56.1% | $37,533 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College | Chicago | public | $9,038 | 49.2% | $31,114 |
| Southeastern Illinois College | Harrisburg | public | $11,437 | 39.3% | $33,763 |
| Illinois Central College | East Peoria | public | $12,961 | 36.3% | $37,366 |
| Midwest Technical Institute-Illinois | Springfield | private for-profit | $27,793 | 71.9% | $33,601 |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Figures are institution-wide federal medians for each school as a whole — not CDL & truck driving graduates specifically. Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
Aid deadlines for CDL & truck driving programs in Illinois
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