City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College

Chicago, IL · Public · 1,564 students · Visit Website

Kennedy-King College, through its Dawson Technical Institute (DTI), specializes in construction technology careers, offering training in trades like electrical line work, plumbing, welding, carpentry, and masonry. DTI focuses on providing intensive, industry-validated instruction designed to prepare students for unionized apprenticeships and other trade and utility worker opportunities. The college also houses the Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute, providing hands-on training in culinary arts, hospitality management, and baking.

Programs Analyzed

6

Avg Grad Earnings

$51,701/yr

Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score

59/100

Tuition (In-State)

$4,380/yr
Out-of-state: $14,430/yr

All Programs at City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College

6 trade programs at City Colleges of Chicago, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.

Program Score Earnings Debt 10yr ROI AI Risk Job Market
Electrical Installation
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers
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87 $142,516/yr 324.4x Low Very Large
230 openings/yr
Plumbing
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services
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82 $82,055/yr 186.3x Low Very Large
125 openings/yr
Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts and Related Services
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55 $19,447/yr 21.2x Low Very Large
789 openings/yr
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
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48 $27,284/yr 61.3x Low Medium
13 openings/yr
Carpentry
Carpenters
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47 $17,697/yr 39.4x Moderate Very Large
148 openings/yr
Biological & Physical Sciences
Biological and Physical Sciences
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37 $21,207/yr 23.2x Moderate Large
88 openings/yr

Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.

More Trade Schools in Illinois

Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in Illinois, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.

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Apprenticeship Pathways in Illinois

Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in Illinois. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.

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Trade Schools Near Chicago

Other cities in Illinois with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from Chicago.

About This Data

TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 6 trade and vocational programs at City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).

The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections). Last updated 2026.