Heartland Community College vs Prairie State College

Heartland Community College and Prairie State College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer diverse educational opportunities to students in the heart of Illinois. Heartland, with an acceptance rate of 100%, welcomes students from all backgrounds, while Prairie State's selective admissions process results in an acceptance rate of 88%. Heartland's student body is predominantly female (58%), while Prairie State boasts a more balanced gender ratio (51% female, 49% male). Both colleges offer a wide range of programs, with popular majors including Business, Health Professions, and Liberal Arts. However, Prairie State excels in Engineering and Computer Science, while Heartland shines in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management. With graduation rates of 25% and 30% respectively, both colleges are committed to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Heartland Community College logo

Heartland Community College

Prairie State College logo

Prairie State College

Overview

Location Normal, Illinois Chicago Heights, Illinois
Campus setting Suburb: 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 69.0% 53.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate Open Admission Open Admission
Application fees
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 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: $22,914

Out of state: $27,654
In state: $25,562

Out of state: $27,284
Average net price $9,465 $7,059
Tuition
In state: $9,480

Out of state: $14,220
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)

48.0%
Average amount $5,720
60.0%
Average amount $6,684
Students receiving federal student loan 13.0%
Average amount $4,807
5.0%
Average amount $5,749
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $5,930
0.0%
Average amount $0

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 4,697
Men 42.8% Women 57.2%
2,618
Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 0.9% 2.1%
International students 0.8% 1.4%
Campus local/setting Suburb: 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 Texas Indiana Illinois Indiana Missouri

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Liberal Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Agriculture
  • 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 41.5% 16.9%
Dropout rate 33.8% 51.8%
Transferred out 13.5% 20.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,797
  • Year 2: $44,933
  • Year 3: $50,451
Biological and Physical Sciences (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,130
  • Year 2: $19,592
  • Year 3: $32,931
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $22,620
  • Year 2: $20,300
  • Year 3: $32,886
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $36,848
  • Year 3: N/A
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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