This page compares construction management programs at 17 Illinois schools: 15 public colleges and universities and 2 private universities. Eight offer a certificate, 9 offer an associate degree, 6 offer a bachelor’s degree, and 2 offer a master’s degree. Three bachelor’s programs (Bradley University, Illinois State University, and SIUE) are ACCE-accredited.
Estimated in-district or in-state costs run about $1.5K to $5.5K for undergraduate certificates, $8.6K to $11.6K for associate degrees, $54.2K to $65K for public bachelor’s degrees, and $174.9K to $220.2K at the two private universities. Master’s degrees run about $34.9K to $57.8K.
Illinois Construction Management Programs at a Glance
| School | Location | Credentials | Format | Credits | Est. In-State Tuition | Program Accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley University | Peoria, IL | Bachelor's | Campus | 120 | $174,872 | ACCE |
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn, IL | Associate, Certificate | Campus, Hybrid | 32–64 | $5,120–$10,240 | Not stated |
| Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, IL | Bachelor's | Campus | 120 | $59,657 | Not stated |
| Illinois Central College | East Peoria, IL | Associate, Certificate | Campus | 33–60 | $5,511–$10,020 | Not stated |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, IL | Bachelor's, Certificate, Master's | Campus, Online | 12–121 | $23,100–$220,192 | Not stated |
| Illinois State University | Normal, IL | Bachelor's | Campus | 120 | $64,981 | ACCE |
| John A. Logan College | Carterville, IL | Associate | Campus | 72 | $10,800 | Not stated |
| Joliet Junior College | Joliet, IL | Associate | Campus | 60–62 | $9,180–$9,486 | Not stated |
| Kaskaskia College | Centralia, IL | Associate, Certificate | Campus, Online | 10–61 | $1,660–$10,126 | Not stated |
| Kennedy-King College | Chicago, IL | Associate | Campus | 65–66 | $10,595 | Not stated |
| McHenry County College | Crystal Lake, IL | Associate, Certificate | Campus, Hybrid | 24–60 | $3,438–$8,595 | Not stated |
| Parkland College | Champaign, IL | Associate, Certificate | Campus | 28–60 | $5,404–$11,580 | Not stated |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, IL | Bachelor's | Campus | 129–135 | $63,545–$66,501 | ACCE |
| Southwestern Illinois College | Belleville, IL | Associate, Certificate | Campus | 10–63 | $1,540–$9,702 | Not stated |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago, IL | Master's | Campus | 36 | $34,893 | Not stated |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Urbana-Champaign, IL | Certificate | Online | 12 | $14,340 | Not stated |
| Western Illinois University | Macomb, IL | Bachelor's | Campus | 120 | $54,199 | Not stated |
Tuition figures are each school’s estimated program cost range from its profile, using in-district or in-state rates. Community college figures apply to residents of each college’s district.
Best Illinois Construction Management Programs by Goal
- Accredited bachelor’s at public tuition: Illinois State University (about $65K in-state) and SIUE (about $63.5K at one rate for all U.S. students) both hold ACCE accreditation.
- Required field experience: Illinois State requires 800 work hours before its capstone; SIUE, Western Illinois University, and Illinois Central College require a credit-bearing internship.
- Out-of-state students: SIUE, Western Illinois, and Eastern Illinois University charge one rate regardless of residency, about $54K to $66.5K for the bachelor’s.
- Lowest-cost bachelor’s: Western Illinois’s B.S. costs about $54.2K, with a required internship and BIM design courses, but no ACCE accreditation.
- Private university with accreditation: Bradley University’s ACCE-accredited B.S. builds in OSHA 30 and a business minor, at about $174.9K before aid.
- Design plus construction: Illinois Institute of Technology’s B.S. pairs architecture studios with construction management courses.
- Software-heavy two-year training: Kaskaskia College teaches Bluebeam, On-Screen Takeoff, Microsoft Project, Revit, Procore, and Navisworks, and Southwestern Illinois College builds OSHA 30 and two virtual construction courses into its A.A.S.
- Lowest-cost associate degree: McHenry County College’s A.A.S. costs about $8.6K in-district and adds building codes and project delivery courses, with many courses in 8-week blended or online formats.
- Transfer-focused associate degree: Joliet Junior College’s A.A.S. has published transfer guides into SIUE, Eastern Illinois, and Purdue University Northwest.
- Graduate study: Illinois Tech’s M.S. in Construction Engineering and Management is offered online, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers four online 12-credit graduate certificates, and the University of Illinois Chicago’s in-person M.S. costs about $34.9K for Illinois residents.
Illinois Construction Management Programs by Degree Level
Certificates
| School | Program | Level | Credits | Est. In-State Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Illinois College | Building Information Modeling; Construction Management Technology | Undergraduate | 10-35 | $1,540-$5,390 |
| Kaskaskia College | Construction Estimating; Construction Scheduling | Undergraduate | 10-11 | $1,660-$1,826 |
| McHenry County College | Construction Management Certificate | Undergraduate | 24 | $3,438 |
| College of DuPage | Construction Management Certificate | Undergraduate | 32 | $5,120 |
| Parkland College | Construction Design and Management Certificate | Undergraduate | 28 | $5,404 |
| Illinois Central College | Construction Management Certificate | Undergraduate | 33 | $5,511 |
| UIUC | Four online construction certificates | Graduate | 12 | $14,340 |
| Illinois Tech | Certificate in Construction Management | Graduate | 12 | $23,100 |
The undergraduate certificates are built from each college’s associate-degree courses, so credits carry into the A.A.S. The graduate certificates require a bachelor’s degree; UIUC’s expects an engineering or science degree, while Illinois Tech uses its certificate as an entry route into its M.S.
You Should Know
- Kaskaskia lists both of its short certificates as not eligible for federal financial aid.
- Illinois Central College’s certificate includes a required internship and OSHA 30, and SWIC’s 35-credit certificate also includes OSHA 30.
- McHenry says its certificate prepares students for International Code Council exams.
Associate Degrees
| School | Program | Internship | Credits | Est. In-District Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McHenry County College | A.A.S. in Construction Management | Optional | 60 | $8,595 |
| Joliet Junior College | A.A.S. in Construction Management | None | 60-62 | $9,180-$9,486 |
| Southwestern Illinois College | A.A.S. in Construction Management Technology | Optional | 63 | $9,702 |
| College of DuPage | A.A.S. in Construction Management | None | 62-64 | $9,920-$10,240 |
| Illinois Central College | A.A.S. in Construction Management Technology | Required | 60 | $10,020 |
| Kaskaskia College | A.A.S. in Construction Project Management | None | 61 | $10,126 |
| Kennedy-King College | A.A.S. in Construction Management | None | 65 | $10,595 |
| John A. Logan College | A.A.S. in Construction Management Technology | Optional | 72 | $10,800 |
| Parkland College | A.A.S. in Construction Management | 1 credit, substitutable | 60 | $11,580 |
All nine associate degrees are A.A.S. career degrees, with in-district costs from about $8.6K to $11.6K. The differences are in field experience, software, and transfer routes.
- Field work: Illinois Central requires an internship; Parkland requires a 1-credit field experience that can be substituted, plus a client capstone; John A. Logan front-loads framing and layout labs.
- Software: College of DuPage requires a Revit BIM course; Kaskaskia teaches six named construction software tools; SWIC adds two virtual construction courses with Revit and Navisworks.
- Transfer: Joliet Junior College has guides into three bachelor’s programs, SWIC lists an articulation agreement with SIUE, John A. Logan and Kaskaskia have SIU Carbondale capstone or 2+2 routes, and McHenry’s A.A.S. is approved for NIU’s online B.S. in Technology.
You Should Know
- Joliet Junior College’s profile relies on partner universities’ transfer guides because JJC’s catalog couldn’t be reviewed.
- Out-of-district Illinois residents pay more: about 1.6 times the in-district rate at Kaskaskia, 2.1 at Illinois Central, and 2.6 at Kennedy-King.
Bachelor’s Degrees
| School | Program | Accreditation | Internship | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Illinois University | B.S. in Construction Management | None | Required | $54,199 |
| Eastern Illinois University | B.S. in Construction Management | None | Optional | $59,657 |
| SIUE | B.S. in Construction Management | ACCE | Required | $63,545-$66,501 |
| Illinois State University | B.S. in Construction Management | ACCE | 800 work hours | $64,981 in-state |
| Bradley University | Bachelor of Science in Construction | ACCE | Encouraged | $174,872 |
| Illinois Tech | B.S. in Construction Management and Architectural Technology | None | Not required | $220,192 |
- Accreditation: Bradley (through July 2031), Illinois State (through February 2028), and SIUE (through July 2031) are ACCE-accredited.
- Math: SIUE requires Calculus I and Illinois State requires applied calculus; Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois require applied math or statistics instead.
- Length: SIUE’s B.S. requires 129 credits, and its land surveying specialization raises that to 135.
- Out-of-state cost: Illinois State charges out-of-state students about $115.7K, while SIUE, Eastern Illinois, and Western Illinois charge their single rate.
Master’s Degrees
| School | Program | Format | Credits | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Chicago | M.S. in Construction Engineering and Management | Campus | 36 | $34,893 in-state |
| Illinois Tech | M.S. in Construction Engineering and Management | Campus, online, or hybrid | 30 | $57,750 |
Both master’s degrees share a name but differ in format and admission. UIC’s is in person and expects an engineering, math, or physics bachelor’s, while Illinois Tech’s can be completed online and accepts career changers who finish its certificate first.
Construction Management Programs by Illinois Region
Chicago Area
- Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago (certificate, bachelor’s, master’s)
- University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago (master’s)
- Kennedy-King College, Chicago (associate)
- College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn (certificate, associate)
- Joliet Junior College, Joliet (associate)
- McHenry County College, Crystal Lake (certificate, associate)
Central Illinois
- Bradley University, Peoria (bachelor’s)
- Illinois Central College, East Peoria (certificate, associate)
- Illinois State University, Normal (bachelor’s)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, online (graduate certificates)
- Parkland College, Champaign (certificate, associate)
- Eastern Illinois University, Charleston (bachelor’s)
Western Illinois
- Western Illinois University, Macomb (bachelor’s)
Southern Illinois and Metro East
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville (bachelor’s)
- Southwestern Illinois College, Belleville (certificates, associate)
- Kaskaskia College, Centralia (certificates, associate)
- John A. Logan College, Carterville (associate)
Other Construction Programs in Illinois
- SIU Carbondale: its Technical Resource Management bachelor’s offers a construction management emphasis that John A. Logan and Kaskaskia graduates can enter through capstone and 2+2 routes.
- Northern Illinois University: its online B.S. in Technology accepts McHenry’s Construction Management A.A.S. as an approved technology program.
How a Degree Counts Toward Illinois Contractor Requirements
Illinois has no statewide general contractor license. Contractor licensing for general building work is handled locally, by cities and counties.
- Chicago: the City of Chicago requires a general contractor license for regulated building work. Classes run from E (projects up to $500,000) to A (unlimited), with insurance minimums from $1 million to $5 million per occurrence and annual fees from $300 to $2,000.
- Other cities: requirements vary; contractors should check with the building department where they plan to work.
Chicago’s license page lists insurance, financial solvency, and business registration requirements, and doesn’t describe a degree-based route. A construction degree’s value in Illinois comes from employer hiring rather than from licensing credit.
You Should Know
- None of the profiled schools states that its degree counts toward a contractor license.
- SIUE’s land surveying specialization is designed around the Illinois Fundamentals of Surveying exam, a separate state license track.
Transferring from an Illinois Community College to a University
Under the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), students who complete the 37 to 41 credit general education core at a participating Illinois college have their lower-division general education requirements satisfied at participating universities. The A.A.S. degrees on this page are career degrees, so their construction courses transfer course by course or through specific agreements.
- Published guides: SIUE and Eastern Illinois publish construction transfer guides for several community colleges, including College of DuPage, Joliet Junior College, John A. Logan, Kaskaskia, Parkland, and Southwestern Illinois College.
- SIU Carbondale routes: John A. Logan’s capstone option and Kaskaskia’s 2+2 lead into SIU Carbondale’s Technical Resource Management bachelor’s.
- Prerequisites: Illinois State recommends transfer students finish trigonometry, finite math, applied calculus, accounting, chemistry, economics, business law, and physics first, and SIUE requires eligibility for precalculus to enter its major.
Bottom Line
Illinois has three ACCE-accredited construction bachelor’s programs, two at public universities near $65K and one private at about $175K, plus three non-accredited public bachelor’s degrees in the mid-$50K to $60K range. Nine community colleges offer A.A.S. degrees for about $8.6K to $11.6K in-district.
- Accreditation: Bradley, Illinois State, and SIUE are ACCE-accredited; no Illinois associate or master’s program is.
- Format: nearly all programs are on campus; Illinois Tech’s M.S. and UIUC’s certificates are the clearest online options, and McHenry runs many courses in blended or online formats.
- Internship: Illinois State, SIUE, Western Illinois, and Illinois Central College require field experience.
- Next step: community college students should match their courses to a published transfer guide before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many construction management programs are in Illinois?
This page covers 17 schools: 6 universities with bachelor’s degrees, 2 with master’s degrees, UIUC’s graduate certificates, and 9 community colleges.
Which Illinois construction management programs are ACCE-accredited?
Bradley University, Illinois State University, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hold ACCE accreditation for their bachelor’s degrees.
Can I study construction management online in Illinois?
At the graduate level, yes: Illinois Tech offers its M.S. online, and UIUC offers four online certificates. Kaskaskia College lists its A.A.S. and certificates as available online, though some coursework may be in person.
What is the cheapest construction management degree in Illinois?
Among the schools on this page, McHenry County College’s A.A.S. has the lowest in-district estimate, about $8.6K. Western Illinois University has the lowest-cost bachelor’s, about $54.2K.
Do I need a license to be a contractor in Illinois?
There is no statewide general contractor license, but local governments can require one. Chicago licenses general contractors in five classes based on project value.
Program data verified November 2026 from each school’s published profile on this site. Chicago license details from the City of Chicago Department of Buildings; transfer rules from the Illinois Articulation Initiative.