Oakton vs Prairie State College

Oakton 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 cater to different student needs and aspirations. Oakton boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students, while Prairie State maintains a slightly more selective admissions process. In terms of student demographics, Oakton's student body is more diverse, reflecting a wider representation of ethnicities and backgrounds. As you explore the comprehensive comparison table provided, you'll discover further insights into the unique strengths and offerings of each college, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that can help you make an informed decision about your educational journey.

	Oakton Community College	Prairie State College
Overview
Location	Des Plaines, Illinois	Chicago Heights, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	70.0%	53.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees	$25
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: $23,614 Out of state: $25,630	In state: $25,562 Out of state: $27,284
Average net price	$6,143	$7,059
Tuition	In state: $10,276 Out of state: $12,292	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 $4,335	60.0% Average amount $6,684
Students receiving federal student loan	1.0% Average amount $3,526	5.0% Average amount $5,749
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $7,500	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	7,433 Men 46.1% Women 53.9%	2,618 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	0.3%	2.1%
International students	N/A	1.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	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 Wisconsin District of Columbia	Illinois Indiana Missouri

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Multidisciplinary Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Liberal Arts Health Professions Computer and Information Science Automotive Technology Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	28.5%	16.9%
Dropout rate	28.5%	51.8%
Transferred out	29.7%	20.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $65,988 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $63,332 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $52,362 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $40,629 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $20,570 Year 2: $19,797 Year 3: $30,589 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $30,440 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Medical Administrative Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 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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Oakton vs Prairie State College

Oakton Community College

Prairie State College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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