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Vet tech programs in Illinois

4 vet tech and veterinary assistant programs with results and funding that can make them free

4 schools offer these vet tech programs, and Illinois has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows how past students did; Illinois files no usable prices.

Vet techs do medical tests that help diagnose animals' injuries and illnesses and help veterinarians with exams, care and lab work. Most have a two-year associate degree in veterinary technology, and most states require them to pass an exam. Veterinary assistants handle routine animal care; most learn on the job, and certification is optional.1

In Illinois, 1 of the 4 programs takes students without a high school diploma, 1 asks for a diploma or equivalent and 2 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 4 programs here are vet tech (associate degree, 2 programs), vet tech apprenticeship (1 program) and veterinary assistant course (1 program).

See the 4 programs

How much do vet tech programs cost in Illinois?

Not reported

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

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not reported
None of the 4 programs report it
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
1 program reports it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
Not enough data
4 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

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

Are there free vet tech programs in Illinois?

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

All 4 vet tech and veterinary assistant programs in Illinois approved for WIOA funding

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4 programs

  • Vet tech (associate degree)In personEducation and courses

    Veterinary Technology

    Black Hawk College-Galva

    Galva

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Black Hawk College-Galva, GalvaVet tech (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$35,500
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Veterinary Technology at Black Hawk College-Galva
    More details about Veterinary Technology at Black Hawk College-Galva
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    78%
    Earned in a quarter
    $8,874
    Length
    112 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    44
    Earned a year, estimated
    $35,500
    Price if you pay yourself
    Left out
    Program website, Veterinary Technology at Black Hawk College-Galva

  • Vet tech apprenticeshipIn personNo diploma needed

    Veterinary Assistant

    Rend Lake College

    Ina

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Rend Lake College, InaVet tech apprenticeship · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Veterinary Assistant at Rend Lake College
    More details about Veterinary Assistant at Rend Lake 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, Veterinary Assistant at Rend Lake College

  • Veterinary assistant courseHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Veterinary Assistant

    Kishwaukee College

    Malta

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Kishwaukee College, MaltaVeterinary assistant course · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    Program website, Veterinary Assistant at Kishwaukee College
    More details about Veterinary Assistant at Kishwaukee College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    22 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, Veterinary Assistant at Kishwaukee College

  • Vet tech (associate degree)In personPrerequisite courses

    Veterinary Medical Technology (AAS)-AG500

    Joliet Junior College

    Joliet

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Joliet Junior College, JolietVet tech (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
    School website, Veterinary Medical Technology (AAS)-AG500 at Joliet Junior College
    More details about Veterinary Medical Technology (AAS)-AG500 at Joliet Junior College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    104 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
    School website, Veterinary Medical Technology (AAS)-AG500 at Joliet Junior College

How to pay for vet tech programs in Illinois

WIOA funding can pay for vet tech programs in Illinois

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 vet tech programs

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 vet tech programs

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.

Vet tech programs in Chicago, Davenport, Mount Vernon and other Illinois cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Illinois

How vet tech programs compare with the rest of allied health: Allied health programs in Illinois

Where the Illinois vet tech program numbers come from

Which Illinois vet tech programs are on this list?

These are the vet tech programs Illinois 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. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Illinois offers.

How the prices and results of Illinois vet tech 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 vet tech programs in Illinois

Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
  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