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What CDL school costs
The median posted tuition is $4,900, and the middle 80% of CDL programs post between $2,400 and $7,500. That comes from 1,551 programs on state approved training lists in the Department of Labor's file of October 5, 2026. It is tuition only: the permit, the license and the DOT medical exam come on top.
Labor Dept. TrainingProviderResults.gov · state DMV fee pages · registry file Oct 5, 2026
Median posted tuition across 1,551 CDL programs on state approved training lists.
The middle 80% of posted tuition (10th to 90th percentile).
States where we can show a first-time total, because both the permit and license fees are confirmed on the DMV page.
Class A schools open to the public on the registry; most post no price anywhere we can read.
Cost by state
Each row uses only what we could confirm. A fee we have not confirmed on the state's DMV page is left blank, and the first-time total appears only when the median tuition, permit and license fee are all confirmed.
| State | Programs posted | Median tuition | Permit | Class A license | First-time total | Class A schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 28 | $3,500 | $36 | $66 | $3,603 | 44 |
| Alaska | 27 | $6,950 | $15 | $100 | $7,065 | 11 |
| Arizona | 29 | $4,495 | $25 | $25 | $4,545 | 30 |
| Arkansas | 36 | $4,185 | not confirmed | not confirmed | not shown | 34 |
| California | 77 | $5,875 | not confirmed | $100 | not shown | 224 |
| Colorado | 23 | $3,900 | $20 | $35 | $3,955 | 29 |
| Connecticut | 11 | $5,919 | $20 | $70 | $6,009 | 7 |
| Delaware | 3 | $5,995 | $5 | $55 | $6,055 | 10 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | $5,230 | $78 | $117 | $5,425 | 1 |
| Florida | 60 | $5,995 | not confirmed | $75 | not shown | 78 |
| Georgia | 32 | $2,218 | $10 | $32 | $2,260 | 66 |
| Hawaii | 3 | $3,800 | $30 | not confirmed | not shown | 16 |
| Idaho | 24 | $9,132 | $29 | $40 | $9,201 | 23 |
| Illinois | 8 | $4,763 | $50 | not confirmed | not shown | 76 |
| Indiana | 37 | $4,775 | $17 | $35 | $4,827 | 64 |
| Iowa | 17 | $4,944 | $12 | $8 | $4,964 | 40 |
| Kansas | 14 | $5,245 | $5 | $18 | $5,268 | 31 |
| Kentucky | 7 | $4,000 | $11 | not confirmed | not shown | 48 |
| Louisiana | 40 | $5,500 | not confirmed | not confirmed | not shown | 47 |
| Maine | 13 | $4,750 | not confirmed | $34 | not shown | 20 |
| Maryland | 24 | $4,300 | $106 | not confirmed | not shown | 33 |
| Massachusetts | 17 | $5,595 | $30 | not confirmed | not shown | 11 |
| Michigan | 74 | $4,880 | not confirmed | not confirmed | not shown | 46 |
| Minnesota | 19 | $5,500 | $27 | $65 | $5,592 | 33 |
| Mississippi | 53 | $2,790 | $32 | $25 | $2,847 | 55 |
| Missouri | 41 | $5,000 | $44 | $40 | $5,084 | 49 |
| Montana | 11 | $5,050 | $42 | $42 | $5,133 | 21 |
| Nebraska | 11 | $4,800 | $15 | $60 | $4,875 | 28 |
| Nevada | 35 | $5,495 | $142 | $142 | $5,778 | 21 |
| New Hampshire | 9 | $6,030 | $20 | $60 | $6,110 | 12 |
| New Jersey | 34 | $3,875 | not confirmed | $42 | not shown | 44 |
| New Mexico | 22 | $4,175 | not confirmed | $18 | not shown | 26 |
| New York | 42 | $5,200 | $10 | $165 | $5,375 | 55 |
| North Carolina | 54 | $2,993 | $26 | $26 | $3,044 | 74 |
| North Dakota | 13 | $5,495 | $15 | $15 | $5,525 | 12 |
| Ohio | 56 | $5,823 | $32 | $47 | $5,901 | 53 |
| Oklahoma | 32 | $5,075 | not confirmed | $82 | not shown | 62 |
| Oregon | 11 | $4,966 | $40 | $224 | $5,230 | 24 |
| Pennsylvania | 83 | $5,500 | not confirmed | $128 | not shown | 62 |
| Rhode Island | 8 | $6,548 | $74 | not confirmed | not shown | 2 |
| South Carolina | 21 | $5,000 | $18 | $40 | $5,058 | 40 |
| South Dakota | 7 | $4,500 | $43 | $43 | $4,586 | 15 |
| Tennessee | 42 | $4,400 | $14 | $70 | $4,484 | 45 |
| Texas | 141 | $5,000 | $25 | $97 | $5,122 | 254 |
| Utah | 20 | $3,265 | $52 | $52 | $3,369 | 42 |
| Vermont | 7 | $6,101 | $18 | $108 | $6,227 | 7 |
| Virginia | 41 | $4,500 | $3 | $64 | $4,567 | 46 |
| Washington | 107 | $4,500 | $40 | $156 | $4,696 | 57 |
| West Virginia | 12 | $5,000 | not confirmed | $44 | not shown | 23 |
| Wisconsin | 25 | $4,650 | $30 | $74 | $4,754 | 52 |
| Wyoming | 6 | $4,950 | $45 | $55 | $5,050 | 14 |
Sources: TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (downloaded Oct 5, 2026) · state DMV fee pages (checked Oct 5, 2026) · FMCSA registry (Oct 5, 2026). Each state's page links its fee source.
How we count
The Labor Department file lists every program state workforce agencies approved for WIOA money, with the tuition each school reported. We kept programs whose name or federal program code marks them as CDL or truck driver training, dropped endorsement-only, Class B and heavy-equipment programs, and kept prices between $1,000 and $30,000 so placeholder entries do not skew the median. Rows with the same provider and price count once.
Only schools that went through state approval appear, so the list leans toward community colleges and larger private schools. A school missing from it can charge more or less. Each school page says whether the school has a row of its own.
Questions people ask
How much does CDL school cost?
Programs on state approved training lists post a median of $4,900 for CDL training, with the middle 80% between $2,400 and $7,500 (1,551 programs, Labor Department file downloaded October 5, 2026). The permit, license and medical exam are extra.
Is the posted price the whole cost?
No. The list shows tuition and, where the school reports it, supplies. State permit and license fees, the DOT medical exam and any retesting fees are separate, and a school can charge for housing or a skills-test fee.
Which states cost the least?
By median posted tuition: Georgia ($2,218), Mississippi ($2,790), North Carolina ($2,993). The highest are Idaho ($9,132), Alaska ($6,950), Rhode Island ($6,548). States with few posted programs swing a lot.
Can I get CDL training for free?
Sometimes. A workforce board can pay tuition under WIOA at a school on your state's approved list, and some carriers train you free in return for a work commitment. See the free training page for what each carrier says it charges.