Best ROI Colleges in Illinois
25 schools ranked by median earnings divided by average net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Earnings ÷ Net Price | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joliet Junior College Joliet · community | 25.7× | $1,672 | 20.4% | $42,889 | — |
| 2 | Illinois Valley Community College Oglesby · community | 18.3× | $2,232 | 37.2% | $40,810 | — |
| 3 | Lake Land College Mattoon · community | 17.2× | $2,254 | 55.0% | $38,877 | — |
| 4 | Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills · community | 15.5× | $2,829 | 29.6% | $43,892 | — |
| 5 | Lewis and Clark Community College Godfrey · community | 11.3× | $3,349 | 50.0% | $37,724 | — |
| 6 | Spoon River College Canton · community | 11.2× | $3,415 | 42.1% | $38,386 | — |
| 7 | South Suburban College South Holland · community | 10.4× | $3,242 | 19.3% | $33,680 | — |
| 8 | Richland Community College Decatur · community | 10.4× | $3,741 | 31.3% | $38,793 | — |
| 9 | Triton College River Grove · community | 10.1× | $4,138 | 18.5% | $41,728 | — |
| 10 | Carl Sandburg College Galesburg · community | 9.6× | $3,662 | 51.5% | $35,274 | — |
| 11 | Oakton College Des Plaines · community | 9.2× | $5,183 | 16.0% | $47,852 | — |
| 12 | Lincoln Land Community College Springfield · community | 9.0× | $4,299 | 39.4% | $38,479 | — |
| 13 | Kishwaukee College Malta · community | 8.7× | $4,574 | 36.6% | $39,657 | — |
| 14 | Kankakee Community College Kankakee · community | 8.3× | $4,665 | 33.6% | $38,767 | — |
| 15 | Morton College Cicero · community | 8.2× | $5,191 | 26.2% | $42,406 | — |
| 16 | Shawnee Community College Ullin · community | 7.9× | $4,162 | 42.1% | $32,999 | — |
| 17 | Prairie State College Chicago Heights · community | 7.7× | $4,738 | 20.3% | $36,696 | — |
| 18 | Elgin Community College Elgin · community | 7.6× | $6,026 | 32.5% | $45,516 | — |
| 19 | Rock Valley College Rockford · community | 7.5× | $5,242 | 32.4% | $39,158 | — |
| 20 | Danville Area Community College Danville · community | 7.3× | $4,777 | 35.2% | $34,867 | — |
| 21 | Highland Community College Freeport · community | 6.6× | $5,713 | 36.6% | $37,928 | — |
| 22 | City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago · community | 6.5× | $6,375 | 28.0% | $41,625 | — |
| 23 | McHenry County College Crystal Lake · community | 6.4× | $7,042 | 36.4% | $45,143 | — |
| 24 | College of DuPage Glen Ellyn · community | 6.3× | $7,401 | 24.7% | $46,909 | — |
| 25 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago · public | 6.3× | $10,974 | 69.7% | $68,740 | 77.3% |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.