Chicago is one of the few places in the country where a student can choose between two independently reviewed coding programs without leaving the metro. Moraine Valley in Palos Hills and South Suburban in South Holland both hold AHIMA PCAP approval, and only 22 programs nationally do. Both are in the southwest and south suburbs, which is where the question of who pays what starts.
One number on this page needs a warning. DeVry University-Illinois shows 4,058 coding credentials in the latest year, more than every other school in the metro combined. That is DeVry's online enrollment, reported under its Illinois home institution, not 4,058 Chicago-area coders.
Top 11 medical coding programs in Chicago in 2026
The top 11 medical coding programs in Chicago are ranked below on the same model as our national and Illinois lists: independent review, cost, track record, delivery and credential fit. Chicago here means the whole Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area as the federal government draws it, not the city limits, because that is the area a student actually commutes across. Of the 13 institutions in it, 11 publish an annual tuition figure and graduated coders in the latest year, which is what scoring needs; the rest are listed in full further down.
A program scores exactly what it scores on its state page, since cost is measured against every rankable program in the country. Only its position changes. The methodology has the weights.
- #1 AHIMA PCAP approved
Moraine Valley Community College
Palos Hills, IL · Public · Medical Coding Specialist Certificate
90.5
of 100
Online available Certificate 41 credits Practicum included Preps CCSWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in Palos Hills, IL, Moraine Valley Community College places #1 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. Graduates are pointed at one exam in particular, CCS, which is more than many pages in this field commit to. Expect 41 credits for the Medical Coding Specialist Certificate, five semesters, designed to be completed in two years. The certificate applies toward the college Health Information Technology associate degree. Online study is available here, though the federal flag covers the college rather than this specific award, which is worth confirming with an the Chicago area advisor.
Tuition
$3,822 a year, in-district
Facts on this card come from the Moraine Valley Community College program page
Score breakdown
- Independent review 35.0/35
- Published tuition 17.5/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
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- #2 AHIMA PCAP approved
South Suburban College
South Holland, IL · Public · Coding Specialist Certificate
83.1
of 100
Online available Certificate 40 credits Practicum includedWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in South Holland, IL, South Suburban College places #2 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. It is one of only twenty-two programs in the country approved under the AHIMA Professional Certificate Approval Program. The award is a Coding Specialist Certificate of 40 credits, three semesters. Splits inpatient and outpatient billing into separate courses, and teaches ICD-10-PCS as its own subject rather than folding it into one coding class. IPEDS records the college as offering undergraduate programs that can be finished entirely at a distance, an institution-level flag, so confirm with the the Chicago area campus that the coding award itself runs online.
Tuition
$5,093 a year, in-district
Facts on this card come from the South Suburban College program page
Score breakdown
- Independent review 35.0/35
- Published tuition 10.1/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #3
Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, IL · Public
56.7
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in Sugar Grove, IL, Waubonsee Community College places #3 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. At $3,432 a year in district, it is about 22% below the median of $4,380 across medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. No independent program review is on record for this one, which is the normal position in medical coding rather than a mark against it. IPEDS records the college as offering undergraduate programs that can be finished entirely at a distance, an institution-level flag, so confirm with the the Chicago area campus that the coding award itself runs online. Federal completions show awards in each of the last three years, 13 in the most recent, so this is a running program rather than a listed one.
Tuition
$3,432 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 18.7/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #4
Oakton College
Des Plaines, IL · Public
54.8
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in Des Plaines, IL, Oakton College places #4 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. At $3,985 a year in district, it is about 9% below the median of $4,380 across medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. It has graduated students in all three of the years we checked, most recently 17. This program carries no third-party review of its own. Few do, so the absence separates it from almost nothing. The college reports distance-education programs at undergraduate level, and whether this the Chicago area certificate is one of them is worth a direct question.
Tuition
$3,985 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 16.8/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #5
McHenry County College
Crystal Lake, IL · Public
54.7
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in Crystal Lake, IL, McHenry County College places #5 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. At $4,012 a year in district, it is about 8% below the median of $4,380 across medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. IPEDS records the college as offering undergraduate programs that can be finished entirely at a distance, an institution-level flag, so confirm with the the Chicago area campus that the coding award itself runs online. Federal completions show awards in each of the last three years, 10 in the most recent, so this is a running program rather than a listed one. No program-level approval is recorded. Read that as the field's norm, not as a finding about this college, whose institutional accreditation is a separate matter.
Tuition
$4,012 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 16.7/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #6
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College
Chicago, IL · Public
53.0
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in Chicago, IL, City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College places #6 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. No independent program review is on record for this one, which is the normal position in medical coding rather than a mark against it. The college reports distance-education programs at undergraduate level, and whether this the Chicago area certificate is one of them is worth a direct question. It has graduated students in all three of the years we checked, most recently 40. Tuition of $4,380 a year sits close to the $4,380 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area.
Tuition
$4,380 a year, in-district
Facts on this card come from City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 15.0/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #7
Joliet Junior College
Joliet, IL · Public
52.3
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in Joliet, IL, Joliet Junior College places #7 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. There is no program-level review on record here. That is unremarkable in this field, where only 22 programs nationally carry one. Tuition of $4,530 a year sits close to the $4,380 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. Distance study is on offer at this the Chicago area college, though the federal record does not say whether the coding certificate itself is delivered that way. It has graduated students in all three of the years we checked, most recently 32.
Tuition
$4,530 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 14.3/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #8
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL · Public
47.3
of 100
Some online courses CertificateWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in Glen Ellyn, IL, College of DuPage places #8 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. This program carries no third-party review of its own. Few do, so the absence separates it from almost nothing. Tuition of $4,320 a year sits close to the $4,380 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. 1 awards in the latest year, and awards in each of the three years before it, which is the check we run for whether a program is actually operating.
Tuition
$4,320 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 15.3/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 6.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #9
College of Lake County
Grayslake, IL · Public
46.7
of 100
Some online courses CertificateWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in Grayslake, IL, College of Lake County places #9 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. There is no program-level review on record here. That is unremarkable in this field, where only 22 programs nationally carry one. Tuition of $4,494 a year sits close to the $4,380 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. Federal completions show awards in each of the last three years, 14 in the most recent, so this is a running program rather than a listed one.
Tuition
$4,494 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 14.7/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 6.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #10
DeVry University-Illinois
Lisle, IL · Private for-profit
40.6
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in Lisle, IL, DeVry University-Illinois places #10 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. Tuition of $15,032 runs about 243% above the $4,380 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area, which is worth weighing against what else the program includes. It has graduated students in all three of the years we checked, most recently 4058. No independent program review is on record for this one, which is the normal position in medical coding rather than a mark against it. The college reports distance-education programs at undergraduate level, and whether this the Chicago area certificate is one of them is worth a direct question.
Tuition
$15,032 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 2.6/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #11
Kishwaukee College
Malta, IL · Public
34.8
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Chicago area
From its campus in Malta, IL, Kishwaukee College places #11 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area. Tuition of $4,980 runs about 14% above the $4,380 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Chicago area, which is worth weighing against what else the program includes. Federal data shows awards in 1 of the last three years, which is worth asking about. There is no program-level review on record here. That is unremarkable in this field, where only 22 programs nationally carry one. Online study is available here, though the federal flag covers the college rather than this specific award, which is worth confirming with an the Chicago area advisor.
Tuition
$4,980 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 10.8/25
- Track record 6.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
Do Chicago residents pay in-district tuition at Moraine Valley?
Chicago residents do not pay in-district tuition at Moraine Valley, because the city is its own community college district. Moraine Valley charges $168 a credit hour with fees to residents of its district, $371 to Illinois residents outside it and $429 to out-of-state students. A Chicagoan's in-district college is City Colleges of Chicago, at $157 a credit hour, and its coding certificate is at Malcolm X College.
Illinois has a way around this. Under the statewide CAREER agreement, a student can take a career program at another district's college at in-district rates, but only when their home district does not offer the program and only with its approval in advance. Because City Colleges does run a coding certificate, a Chicago resident should ask City Colleges before assuming the agreement covers Moraine Valley's.
How do the two PCAP-approved Chicago programs compare?
The two PCAP-approved Chicago programs differ mainly in length and in the exam they point toward. Moraine Valley's Medical Coding Specialist certificate is 44 credit hours over two years, with approval running from April 2025 through March 2028. South Suburban's Coding Specialist program is 40 credit hours over three semesters, and the college says graduates can sit for the AHIMA CCS and CCS-P exams.
Both are long for a coding certificate, which is the point. PCAP review is against a national standard for entry-level coding, and a program built to it carries more anatomy, pharmacology and inpatient coding than a short billing certificate does.
How much do medical coders make in Chicago?
Medical coders in Chicago make a median of $57,970 a year, across 4,510 jobs in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area. That is $6,830 above the national median of $51,140 and $1,530 above the Illinois figure of $56,440.
The spread matters more than the middle. The bottom tenth earns $41,460 and the bottom quarter $47,750, which is nearer to what a newly certified coder is offered, while the top quarter clears $65,490 and the top tenth $78,470. That upper end is coders with an inpatient credential, a few years of audit or CDI work, or a remote role paid on a national scale. Billing is a separate federal occupation and pays less: billing and posting clerks in the metro earn a median of $49,960, across 13,610 jobs.
Which schools in Chicago award a medical coding credential?
The schools in Chicago awarding a medical coding credential are the 13 below, every institution in the metropolitan area that the federal data records as awarding a medical coding or billing credential, largest first by credentials conferred. 2 conferred no coding credential in the latest year. A blank price means the school reports none.
| School | City | Sector | Online | Price | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeVry University-Illinois | Lisle | For-profit | ✓ | $15,032 /yr | 4058 |
| Moraine Valley Community College PCAP | Palos Hills | Public | ✓ | $3,822 /yr | 50 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College | Chicago | Public | ✓ | $4,380 /yr | 40 |
| Joliet Junior College | Joliet | Public | ✓ | $4,530 /yr | 32 |
| Oakton College | Des Plaines | Public | ✓ | $3,985 /yr | 17 |
| College of Lake County | Grayslake | Public | — | $4,494 /yr | 14 |
| Waubonsee Community College | Sugar Grove | Public | ✓ | $3,432 /yr | 13 |
| McHenry County College | Crystal Lake | Public | ✓ | $4,012 /yr | 10 |
| South Suburban College PCAP | South Holland | Public | ✓ | $5,093 /yr | 5 |
| Kishwaukee College | Malta | Public | ✓ | $4,980 /yr | 3 |
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn | Public | — | $4,320 /yr | 1 |
| Triton College | River Grove | Public | ✓ | $4,920 /yr | |
| William Rainey Harper College | Palatine | Public | ✓ | $3,822 /yr |
IPEDS completions, directory and tuition files, 2023. Metro membership is each institution's metropolitan area (CBSA) in the IPEDS directory. Prices come in two units and the column says which: annual tuition, shown /yr, and the whole-program price career schools report, shown program. The two are never averaged together. A college's /yr figure is its in-district rate, which only residents of its district pay. The Online flag is institution-level: it marks a college offering some fully online undergraduate program, not proof that its coding certificate is one.
Common questions about medical coding programs in Chicago
What is the best medical coding program in Chicago?
How much does a medical coding program cost in Chicago?
How much do medical coders make in Chicago?
Do you need a license to be a medical coder in Chicago?
Can a Chicago resident attend Moraine Valley at in-district tuition?
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area median, percentiles and employment for medical records specialists (SOC 29-2072) and billing and posting clerks (SOC 43-3021).
- IPEDS completions, directory and tuition , 2023, via the Urban Institute Education Data API: which institutions in the metro award coding credentials, how many they conferred, their metropolitan area, published tuition and distance education.
- AHIMA Professional Certificate Approval Program directory : Moraine Valley Community College and South Suburban College hold approval.
- Moraine Valley Community College, cost and aid
- Moraine Valley Community College, Medical Coding Specialist: PCAP approval, April 2025 to March 2028
- South Suburban College, Coding Specialist program
- Malcolm X College, tuition and fees
- City Colleges of Chicago, CAREER agreement
Where else can you study medical coding near Chicago?
You can study medical coding near Chicago anywhere else in Illinois, and since no state licenses coders, a program further out is a real option rather than a compromise:
- Medical coding programs in Illinois, 35 institutions statewide
- The best online medical coding programs, open to Chicago residents
The other large cities we rank:
- Medical coding programs in New York City, 9 ranked
- Medical coding programs in Los Angeles, 10 ranked
- Medical coding programs in Houston, 6 ranked
- Medical coding programs in Philadelphia, 11 ranked