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Auto body repair classes in Chicago, Illinois

10 auto body programs with results and funding that can make them free

4 schools offer these auto body repair programs with classes in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, and every one is approved for workforce funding. Each shows how past students did; Illinois files no usable prices. One school runs 5 of these 10 programs, so the typical figures lean heavily on its prices and results.

Automotive body repairers restore, refinish and replace vehicle bodies and frames; glass repairers replace windshields and window glass. Most employers prefer workers who have finished a collision repair program, which trade and technical schools usually run as a 6-month to 1-year certificate and some community colleges as a 2-year program; new workers still need 2 or 3 years on the job to work independently, and certification is recommended though not required.1 Body shops covered by a federal air rule must train and certify everyone who spray-paints vehicles within 180 days of hiring, in spray gun setup and technique and spray booth upkeep, with refresher training every five years.2

In Chicago, 8 of the 10 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent and 2 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 10 programs here are auto body certificate or diploma (5 programs), auto body (associate degree, 2 programs), estimating course (1 program), painting and refinishing course (1 program), and 1 more of one other kind.

See the 10 programs

All 16 auto body programs in Illinois, including online programs

How much do auto body repair classes cost in Chicago?

Not reported

Illinois files no usable prices, so none can be shown.

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not reported
None of the 10 programs report it
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
32 to 59 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 auto body repair classes. How these figures are made

Are there free auto body repair classes in Chicago?

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

All 10 auto body programs in Chicago approved for WIOA funding

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10 programs

  • Auto body (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Automotive Collision Repair Technician AAS 24AN

    College of Lake County

    Grayslake

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    College of Lake County, GrayslakeAuto body (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$38,800
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Automotive Collision Repair Technician AAS 24AN at College of Lake County
    More details about Automotive Collision Repair Technician AAS 24AN at College of Lake County
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    52%
    Earned in a quarter
    $9,706
    Length
    64 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    113
    Earned a year, estimated
    $38,800
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Automotive Collision Repair Technician AAS 24AN at College of Lake County

  • Auto body certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Advanced Auto Body Repair Certificate

    Waubonsee Community College

    Sugar Grove

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Waubonsee Community College, Sugar GroveAuto body certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$35,000
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Advanced Auto Body Repair Certificate at Waubonsee Community College
    More details about Advanced Auto Body Repair Certificate at Waubonsee Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    67%
    Earned in a quarter
    $8,739
    Length
    37 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    31
    Earned a year, estimated
    $35,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Advanced Auto Body Repair Certificate at Waubonsee Community College

  • Auto body (associate degree)In personEducation and courses

    Auto Body Repair AAS

    Waubonsee Community College

    Sugar Grove

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Waubonsee Community College, Sugar GroveAuto body (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Auto Body Repair AAS at Waubonsee Community College
    More details about Auto Body Repair AAS at Waubonsee Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    61 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Auto Body Repair AAS at Waubonsee Community College

  • Auto body certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Automotive Collision Repair Cert 24AE

    College of Lake County

    Grayslake

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    College of Lake County, GrayslakeAuto body certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Automotive Collision Repair Cert 24AE at College of Lake County
    More details about Automotive Collision Repair Cert 24AE at College of Lake County
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Automotive Collision Repair Cert 24AE at College of Lake County

  • Estimating courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Automotive Damage Analysis Cert 24AK

    College of Lake County

    Grayslake

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    College of Lake County, GrayslakeEstimating course · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Automotive Damage Analysis Cert 24AK at College of Lake County
    More details about Automotive Damage Analysis Cert 24AK at College of Lake County
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Automotive Damage Analysis Cert 24AK at College of Lake County

  • Painting and refinishing courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Automotive Service Refinishing Technician Cert 24AM

    College of Lake County

    Grayslake

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    College of Lake County, GrayslakePainting and refinishing course · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Automotive Service Refinishing Technician Cert 24AM at College of Lake County
    More details about Automotive Service Refinishing Technician Cert 24AM at College of Lake County
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Automotive Service Refinishing Technician Cert 24AM at College of Lake County

  • Structural or non-structural repair certificateIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Automotive Structural Repair Technician Cert 24AL

    College of Lake County

    Grayslake

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    College of Lake County, GrayslakeStructural or non-structural repair certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Automotive Structural Repair Technician Cert 24AL at College of Lake County
    More details about Automotive Structural Repair Technician Cert 24AL at College of Lake County
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Automotive Structural Repair Technician Cert 24AL at College of Lake County

  • Auto body certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Basic Auto Body Repair Certificate

    Waubonsee Community College

    Sugar Grove

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Waubonsee Community College, Sugar GroveAuto body certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Basic Auto Body Repair Certificate at Waubonsee Community College
    More details about Basic Auto Body Repair Certificate at Waubonsee Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Basic Auto Body Repair Certificate at Waubonsee Community College

  • Auto body certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Collision Repair & Refinishing Technology-Diploma

    Lincoln College of Technology

    Melrose Park

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Lincoln College of Technology, Melrose ParkAuto body certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Collision Repair & Refinishing Technology-Diploma at Lincoln College of Technology
    More details about Collision Repair & Refinishing Technology-Diploma at Lincoln College of Technology
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    54 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Collision Repair & Refinishing Technology-Diploma at Lincoln College of Technology

  • Auto body certificate or diplomaHybridEducation and courses

    Collision Technology/AC

    Kennedy King College

    Chicago

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Kennedy King College, ChicagoAuto body certificate or diploma · Accredited schoolHybrid · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Collision Technology/AC at Kennedy King College
    More details about Collision Technology/AC at Kennedy King College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    64 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Collision Technology/AC at Kennedy King College

How to pay for auto body repair classes in Chicago

WIOA funding can pay for auto body repair classes 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 auto body repair classes

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.78

GI Bill for auto body repair classes

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

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

Other training in Chicago

How auto body repair classes compare with the rest of skilled trades across Illinois: Trade school programs in Illinois

Where the Chicago auto body repair program numbers come from

Which Chicago auto body repair programs are on this list?

These are the auto body repair 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).10 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 auto body repair 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".11 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 auto body repair classes in Chicago

Show the 11 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Automotive Body and Glass Repairers
  2. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 40 CFR 63.11173, paint stripping and surface coating at area sources
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. 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)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. 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
  11. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: search page, note on states with known data quality concerns