College Trends

Community colleges in Illinois

The College Scorecard lists 11 public colleges that mostly award associate degrees in Illinois, all compared on this page. Together they enroll 47,135 undergraduate degree-seeking students. The median average net price is $5,553 a year, lower than the $7,415 median for community colleges nationwide. Former students' median earnings 10 years after starting college are $43,671 at the median institution, about the same as the $44,632 median for community colleges nationwide. The median graduation rate is 38.3%.

Open in the dashboardSource: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Schools
11
UndergraduatesiUndergraduate degree-seeking enrollment.
47,135
Median net priceiAverage yearly cost for full-time, first-time undergraduates who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. The figure here is the median across schools.
$5,553
U.S.: $7,415
Median earnings, 10 yrsiMedian earnings of former students who received federal aid, 10 years after they started college, among those working and not enrolled. The figure here is the median across institutions (branch campuses count once).
$43,671
U.S.: $44,632
Median debtiMedian federal student-loan balance of graduates. Excludes Parent PLUS and private loans. The figure here is the median across institutions (branch campuses count once).
$7,101
U.S.: $10,500
Median grad rateiShare of full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time (6 years for a 4-year degree, 3 years for a 2-year degree). The figure here is the median across schools.
38.3%
U.S.: 34.4%

Compare all community colleges in Illinois on one chart

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Each dot is one school. Dashed lines mark the median for Illinois. Showing 11 of 11 community colleges in Illinois; schools missing either value are left out.

All 11 community colleges in Illinois

College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn
16,114$5,165$4,680$12,870$51,188$9,50023.7%65.7%
Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove
5,721$2,551$3,576$9,131$48,582$6,55243.9%70.2%
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College
Chicago
4,372$5,287$4,710$15,540$47,007$5,95032.8%72.5%
Rock Valley College
Rockford
4,359$3,385$4,324$7,414$44,656$10,18738.3%69.5%
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
Chicago
4,207$6,462$4,710$15,540$42,885$6,99025.6%59.1%
Parkland College
Champaign
3,348$5,553$4,464$13,278$42,861$7,21136.3%69.6%
Morton College
Cicero
2,640$6,075$5,662$12,574$47,728$5,00028.2%66.0%
John A Logan College
Carterville
2,016$7,393$4,630$7,540$38,119n/a49.1%66.2%
Kishwaukee College
Malta
1,936$4,358$4,800$14,400$43,671$11,00044.0%74.4%
John Wood Community College
Quincy
1,371$6,248$5,700$9,750$42,918$8,71350.5%63.8%
Carl Sandburg College
Galesburg
1,051$9,186$5,500$9,160$38,801$3,50044.9%62.5%
Showing 11 of 11. Starts sorted by undergraduate enrollment; select a column to sort.

Quick facts: community colleges in Illinois

How many community colleges are in Illinois?
The College Scorecard lists 11 public colleges that mostly award associate degrees in Illinois.
What do community colleges in Illinois cost?
Across the 11 schools that report it, the median average net price is $5,553 a year. Net price is what full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid pay after grants and scholarships. Reported net prices range from $2,551 at Waubonsee Community College to $9,186 at Carl Sandburg College.
Which community colleges in Illinois have the lowest average net price?
By reported average net price: Waubonsee Community College ($2,551), Rock Valley College ($3,385), Kishwaukee College ($4,358), College of DuPage ($5,165), and City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College ($5,287).
How much is in-state and out-of-state tuition at community colleges in Illinois?
The median published in-state tuition is $4,710 a year, and the median out-of-state tuition is $12,574. Many students pay less than published tuition after aid.
How much do former students of community colleges in Illinois earn?
At the median institution, former students who received federal aid earn $43,671 10 years after starting college (11 institutions reporting; branch campuses share one figure and count once). The highest reported medians are at College of DuPage ($51,188), Waubonsee Community College ($48,582), and Morton College ($47,728).
What is the graduation rate at community colleges in Illinois?
The median graduation rate is 38.3%, across 11 schools reporting. It counts full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time.
How much student debt do graduates of community colleges in Illinois have?
The median institution's graduates leave with $7,101 in federal student loans (the median balance). Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.

Keep comparing

Other college types in Illinois

Community colleges in other states

How these numbers work

This page includes public colleges that mostly award associate degrees, as reported in the College Scorecard. Summary figures are medians across schools: each school counts once, whatever its size, and schools that don't report a measure are left out of that measure. The Scorecard reports earnings and debt for a whole institution, so branch campuses share one figure; for those two measures each institution counts once. Most recent data year: cost 2025, graduation and retention 2025, earnings 2022, debt 2024. More on the data.