Olney Central College vs Prairie State College

Olney Central College and Prairie State College, both esteemed community colleges in Illinois, offer distinct educational experiences. Olney Central boasts an impressive 100% acceptance rate, welcoming students from all backgrounds, while Prairie State maintains a slightly more selective approach with an acceptance rate of 98%. In terms of student body demographics, Olney Central's student population is predominantly female (58%), while Prairie State's student body is more evenly balanced, with 52% female and 48% male students. Both institutions offer a diverse range of programs, with popular majors including Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Business Administration. However, Prairie State additionally offers specialized programs in fields such as Engineering, Computer Science, and Nursing. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two colleges. Dive into the details to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Olney Central College	Prairie State College
Overview
Location	Olney, Illinois	Chicago Heights, Illinois
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	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: $23,248 Out of state: $25,274	In state: $25,562 Out of state: $27,284
Average net price	$6,321	$7,059
Tuition	In state: $8,902 Out of state: $10,928	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)	95.0% Average amount $6,667	60.0% Average amount $6,684
Students receiving federal student loan	9.0% Average amount $4,904	5.0% Average amount $5,749
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $6,500	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	992 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%	2,618 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	1.9%	2.1%
International students	N/A	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	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 Indiana Kansas	Illinois Indiana Missouri

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Automotive Technology Business Computer and Information Science	Liberal Arts Health Professions Computer and Information Science Automotive Technology Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	57.3%	16.9%
Dropout rate	20.3%	51.8%
Transferred out	21.2%	20.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $42,701 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $48,111 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $36,320 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $16,456 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $25,164 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $54,462 Year 2: N/A 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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