Prairie State College vs Norwalk Community College

Prairie State College and Norwalk Community College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Prairie State, nestled in Chicago Heights, Illinois, boasts an acceptance rate of 100%, welcoming students from diverse backgrounds. Norwalk, located in Norwalk, Connecticut, maintains a slightly more selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 88%. While Prairie State's student body predominantly comprises females, Norwalk's population leans towards males. Both colleges offer a wide range of programs, with popular majors including Liberal Arts and Humanities, Business, and Health Professions. Prairie State excels in graduation rates, with 25% of students completing their studies within three years, while Norwalk's graduation rate stands at 15%. Delve into the comprehensive comparison table to discover further distinctions between these two esteemed institutions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Norwalk Community College logo

Norwalk Community College

Prairie State College logo

Prairie State College

Overview

Location Norwalk, Connecticut 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 59.0% 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: $19,941

Out of state: $28,893
In state: $25,562

Out of state: $27,284
Average net price $6,983 $7,059
Tuition
In state: $3,984

Out of state: $11,952
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)

81.0%
Average amount $7,288
60.0%
Average amount $6,684
Students receiving federal student loan 5.0%
Average amount $5,749
Students taking out private loans 0.0%
Average amount $0

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 4,106
Men 41.3% Women 58.7%
2,618
Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 1.7% 2.1%
International students 2.6% 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 Connecticut New York Florida Mississippi Illinois Indiana Missouri

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Liberal Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Liberal Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Automotive Technology
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 13.8% 16.9%
Dropout rate 48.5% 51.8%
Transferred out 6.8% 20.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,250
  • Year 2: $64,990
  • Year 3: $74,439
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,550
  • Year 2: $25,774
  • Year 3: $28,056
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,373
  • Year 2: $28,309
  • Year 3: N/A
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,208
  • Year 2: $53,775
  • Year 3: N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,953
  • Year 2: $53,071
  • 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