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HVAC training in Chicago, Illinois

48 HVAC training programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

18 schools offer these HVAC programs with classes in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, and every one is approved for workforce funding: 46 by Illinois and 2 by Indiana. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

HVAC technicians work on heating, ventilation, cooling and refrigeration systems. Most train in a certificate program, which usually includes the EPA refrigerant exam that nearly all technicians must pass, and some states also require a license.1

In Chicago, 6 of the 48 programs take students without a high school diploma, 18 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 24 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 48 programs here are HVAC technician (40 programs), HVAC (associate degree, 5 programs), refrigeration (2 programs) and facilities and building maintenance (1 program).

See the 48 programs

All 77 HVAC training programs in Illinois, including online programs

How much does HVAC training cost in Chicago?

$4,912 to $7,367

is what the 2 programs with a price cost if you pay yourself

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
79%
Earned a year, estimated
about $39,900
Length
32 to 52 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Chicago may also offer HVAC training. How these figures are made

Is there free HVAC training in Chicago?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 48 HVAC training programs in Chicago approved for WIOA funding

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48 programs

How to pay for HVAC training in Chicago

WIOA funding can pay for HVAC training in Chicago

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for HVAC training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for HVAC training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Other training in Chicago

How HVAC training compares with the rest of skilled trades across Illinois: Trade school programs in Illinois

Where the Chicago HVAC program numbers come from

Which Chicago HVAC programs are on this list?

These are the HVAC programs with classes in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area that are approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Online programs are left out here; they are on the Illinois page. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what the area offers.

How the prices and results of Chicago HVAC programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the Illinois figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Illinois among the states with "known data quality concerns".10 We leave out the share who finished for Illinois: only a few programs report it, and those at a typical 11%. We leave out prices for Illinois: the state files a code in place of each price, so no price can be shown.

Sources for the facts about HVAC training in Chicago

Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List
  10. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: search page, note on states with known data quality concerns