VA-approved welding programs in Illinois

Quick answer

Every welding location in Illinois in VA's data is a school program. VA lists no welding apprenticeships or OJT here right now.

VA's GI Bill® Comparison Tool lists 49 welding training locations in Illinois with 155 approved programs: 49 with school programs and 0 with apprenticeship or on-the-job training. 1 has a VA caution flag.

Before you enroll, open the VA profile to confirm the exact program, and ask the School Certifying Official to confirm your start date. [VA: Choosing a GI Bill approved school]

49 locations, by city

VA-approved School program Public
  • Welding Technology
  • Welding-Advanced SMAW Stick Welding
  • Welding-Basic GMAW MIG Welding Tech
  • Welding-Basic GTAW TIG Welding Tech
  • Welding-Basic SMAW Stick Welding Tech

GI Bill students (all programs): 133Accredited (regional)

VA-approved School program Public
  • Gas Metal Arc Welding
  • Multi-Process Welding
  • Shielded Metal Arc Welding
  • Welding-Advanced Welding
  • Welding-Pipe Welding

GI Bill students (all programs): 34Accredited (regional)

VA-approved School program Public VA caution flag
  • Pipefitting and Pipe Welding
  • Welding Technician
  • Welding-Production Welding

VA caution flag: School placed on Heightened Cash Monitoring. The Department of Education has placed this school on Heightened Cash Monitoring because of financial or federal compliance issues. Learn more about Heightened Cash Monitoring

GI Bill students (all programs): 32Accredited (regional)

Show all 49 locations
VA-approved School program Public
  • Advanced Welding Fabrication
  • Gas Metal Arc Welding
  • Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
  • General Welding
  • Shielded Metal Arc Welding
  • Welding Fabrication

GI Bill students (all programs): 308Accredited (regional)

VA-approved School program Public
  • Basic Welding
  • Entry Level Welder
  • Flux Core Arc Welding FCAW
  • Gas Metal Arc Welding GMAW
  • Gas Tungsten Arc Welding GTAW
  • Pipe Welding
  • +1 more

GI Bill students (all programs): 182Accredited (regional)

VA-approved School program Public
  • Basic Manufacturing Welding
  • Intermediate Manufacturing Welding
  • Maintenance Welding
  • Manufacturing Tech Welding II Advanced
  • Manufacturing Welding I
  • Welding Tech Tungsten Inert Gas Metalic
  • +4 more

GI Bill students (all programs): 44Accredited (regional)

VA-approved School program For-profit
  • Combination Structural-Pipe Welding Spec
  • Pipe Welding Specialist
  • Structural Welding Specialist

GI Bill students (all programs): 10Not accredited (accreditation is not required for VA approval of many trade programs)

Source: VA GI Bill Comparison Tool program data, retrieved October 23, 2026. School details come from VA's data file dated October 8, 2026. The list is sorted by city, then name. It isn't a ranking.

Common questions

How many GI Bill-approved welding programs are in Illinois?

VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool lists 155 approved programs at 49 locations in Illinois as of October 23, 2026. That's about 4% of the 1,352 welding locations in VA's data nationally. By type: 40 public colleges and technical schools, 7 for-profit schools, 2 private nonprofit schools.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Which cities in Illinois have welding programs?

By number of locations: Chicago (2), East Peoria (2), Moline (2), Rockford (2), Springfield (2), Belleville (1) and 38 more cities.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Are there paid welding apprenticeships in Illinois?

VA's data lists no welding apprenticeship or OJT programs in Illinois as of October 23, 2026. An employer can apply to its State Approving Agency to get an apprenticeship approved.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool] [VA: On-the-job training and apprenticeships]

Do any welding schools in Illinois have VA caution flags?

Yes. 1 location has a VA caution flag. Each flag is shown on its listing in VA's wording. Read it before you enroll.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Other trades in Illinois

← All Welding programs · Does the GI Bill cover welding school?

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool data (ComparisonToolData.xlsx)”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Choosing a GI Bill approved school”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.