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Diesel mechanic schools in Illinois
Illinois has 11 accredited campuses awarding diesel tech credentials. If you finish and work as a diesel technician in Illinois, expect to start around $44,760–$53,640 and reach a median of $64,340 with experience; the top quarter earn $80,640 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Illinois). Graduates of these Illinois programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $39,128 in their first year, against $37,506 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists earn in Illinois
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 11,320 employed in Illinois. National median: $61,770.
Campuses in Illinois, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: ChampaignChicagoDecaturEast PeoriaGodfreyHarrisburgInaJolietLisleMaltaMount Carmel
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkland College | Champaign | Public | 13 | $39,756 | $7,000 | 32% | not reported |
| Kishwaukee College | Malta | Public | 7 | $39,128 | not reported | 45% | not reported |
| Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc | Lisle | for-profit | 132 | $36,955 | $13,132 | 63% | $31,301 |
| Rend Lake College | Ina | Public | 21 | not reported | not reported | 63% | not reported |
| Richland Community College | Decatur | Public | 21 | not reported | not reported | 60% | not reported |
| Illinois Central College | East Peoria | Public | 17 | not reported | not reported | 49% | not reported |
| Southeastern Illinois College | Harrisburg | Public | 13 | not reported | not reported | 55% | not reported |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College | Chicago | Public | 4 | not reported | not reported | 21% | not reported |
| Joliet Junior College | Joliet | Public | 4 | not reported | not reported | 21% | not reported |
| Wabash Valley College | Mount Carmel | Public | 4 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Lewis and Clark Community College | Godfrey | Public | 1 | not reported | not reported | 44% | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.