Elgin Community College vs Prairie State College

Elgin Community College and Prairie State College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Illinois, offer diverse educational opportunities to students seeking a solid foundation for their academic and professional pursuits. While they share a commitment to academic excellence, these colleges have distinct characteristics that set them apart. Elgin Community College boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students, while Prairie State College maintains a slightly smaller student body, fostering a more intimate learning environment. Both institutions offer a wide array of programs, with Elgin Community College excelling in liberal arts and sciences, and Prairie State College specializing in career-oriented programs. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these colleges, including their graduation rates, popular majors, student demographics, and more, to make an informed decision that aligns with your unique educational goals and aspirations.

	Elgin Community College	Prairie State College
Overview
Location	Elgin, Illinois	Chicago Heights, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	53.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees	$132
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $17,190 Out of state: $19,566	In state: $25,562 Out of state: $27,284
Average net price	$4,140	$7,059
Tuition	In state: $7,128 Out of state: $9,504	In state: $8,610 Out of state: $10,332
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	52.0% Average amount $4,351	60.0% Average amount $6,684
Students receiving federal student loan	4.0% Average amount $3,803	5.0% Average amount $5,749
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $4,980	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,050 Men 42.7% Women 57.3%	2,618 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	0.2%	2.1%
International students	0.7%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Oregon Wisconsin	Illinois Indiana Missouri

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Automotive Technology Culinary and Personal Services	Liberal Arts Health Professions Computer and Information Science Automotive Technology Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	42.9%	16.9%
Dropout rate	27.4%	51.8%
Transferred out	18.2%	20.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $53,782 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $56,095 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $51,164 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $44,532 Year 2: $45,305 Year 3: $50,277 Ground Transportation (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $40,454 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $43,693 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,327 Legal Support Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,741 Year 3: $40,243 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $31,850 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,027 Biological and Physical Sciences (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $36,820 Year 2: $32,332 Year 3: $39,939 Fire Protection (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,305 Year 3: $38,233 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $26,806 Year 2: $30,323 Year 3: $33,904	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $58,132 Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $60,449 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $48,414 Year 2: $53,697 Year 3: $57,487 Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $23,649 Year 3: $24,160 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $29,171 Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $24,036 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $37,124 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $17,950 Year 3: N/A

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Elgin Community College vs Prairie State College

Elgin Community College

Prairie State College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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