Sterling, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering pharmacy technician programs, with tuition ranging from $4,788 to $16,727 per year for indexed programs. Sterling has a population of about 14,670. Median household income is $52,647 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning pharmacy technician-related role is Health Technologist and Technician at a median $49,930 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Pharmacy Technician Schools to Sterling
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer pharmacy technician programs near Sterling, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Sterling city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Sterling.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$39,080
Avg net price
$19,854/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,768
Avg net price
$12,013/yr
TuitionIn‑state$5,550
Out‑of‑state$13,110
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,424
Avg net price
$7,607/yr
TuitionIn‑state$4,788
Out‑of‑state$14,400
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,852
Avg net price
$5,183/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$32,427
Avg net price
$7,220/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$33,680
Avg net price
$3,242/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$37,724
Avg net price
$3,349/yr
TuitionIn‑state$4,340
Out‑of‑state$7,840
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,884
Avg net price
$10,427/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois pharmacy technician page.
Pharmacy Technician Wages Near Sterling
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide) |
|---|
| Pharmacy Technician | $46,650 |
| Health Technologist and Technician | $49,930 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Sterling at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 14,670 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $52,647 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 18.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Sterling-Area Cities With Pharmacy Technician Programs
- Clinton, IA – 28.3 mi away (30,930 pop)
- Freeport, IL – 34.0 mi away (24,717 pop)
- East Moline, IL – 40.6 mi away (21,135 pop)
- Peru, IL – 42.6 mi away (30,795 pop)
- Bettendorf, IA – 43.4 mi away (35,727 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited pharmacy technician schools are near Sterling, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering pharmacy technician programs near Sterling. The closest is Rasmussen University-Illinois in Rockford, IL (44.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of Lake County (94.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying pharmacy technician roles in Illinois?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying pharmacy technician-related roles in Illinois are: Health Technologist and Technician ($49,930), Pharmacy Technician ($46,650). Wages for Sterling workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Clinton instead of Sterling?
Clinton, IA is 28.3 miles from Sterling and has its own set of local pharmacy technician programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Sterling an affordable place to study pharmacy technician?
Sterling’s median household income of $52,647 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sterling while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Pharmacy Technician Programs
Other Programs Available in Sterling
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Sterling:
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- Economics programs in Sterling, IL
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- Forensic Accounting programs in Sterling, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Sterling, IL
- International Business programs in Sterling, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Sterling, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Sterling, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Operations Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Public Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Real Estate programs in Sterling, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Retail Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Risk Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Statistics programs in Sterling, IL
- Taxation programs in Sterling, IL
- Corrections programs in Sterling, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Sterling, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Criminology programs in Sterling, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Sterling, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Fire Science programs in Sterling, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Sterling, IL
- Legal Services programs in Sterling, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Sterling, IL
- Paralegal programs in Sterling, IL
- Security Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Sterling, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Sterling, IL
- Innovation programs in Sterling, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Sterling, IL
- Software Development programs in Sterling, IL
- User Experience programs in Sterling, IL
- Web Development programs in Sterling, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Sterling, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Sterling, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Sterling, IL
- Public Health programs in Sterling, IL
- Human Resources programs in Sterling, IL
- Project Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Special Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Sterling, IL
- Marketing programs in Sterling, IL
- Finance programs in Sterling, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Sterling, IL
- Sports Management programs in Sterling, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Biology programs in Sterling, IL
- Communications programs in Sterling, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Sterling, IL
- Human Services programs in Sterling, IL
- MBA programs in Sterling, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Sterling, IL
- Nursing programs in Sterling, IL
- Business Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Computer Science programs in Sterling, IL
- Psychology programs in Sterling, IL
- Education programs in Sterling, IL
- Engineering programs in Sterling, IL
- Technology programs in Sterling, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Sterling, IL
- Healthcare programs in Sterling, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Sterling, IL
- Accounting programs in Sterling, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Sterling, IL
- Social Work programs in Sterling, IL
- Counseling programs in Sterling, IL
Data verified: August 25, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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