Community Colleges in Illinois
Community college pricing in Illinois is remarkably uniform. The 11 colleges we rank charge between $3,504 and $5,700 a year, only $2,196 apart.
The median college charges $4,590, within a few percent of the national community college median of $4,546. The median net price is $6,375, above the median tuition, because net price also counts books, transportation and living costs that tuition leaves out. That is why a community college can show a net price higher than its sticker price.
Waubonsee Community College ranks first at $3,504, ahead of Parkland College ($4,284) and Rock Valley College ($4,334).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- Public community colleges and state colleges whose main award is the associate degree
- Ranked by in-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in Illinois
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported in-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- State colleges that also grant a few bachelor's degrees but mostly award associate degrees are included and marked in the table
- This page is published only when at least 10 schools qualify; Illinois has 11
- Data period
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 11 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove, IL Public · 2-year | $3,504 | $10,477 | $11,442 | 40% | 5,721 |
| 2 | Parkland College Champaign, IL Public · 2-year | $4,284 | $13,266 | $8,048 | 32% | 3,348 |
| 3 | Rock Valley College Rockford, IL Public · 2-year | $4,334 | $7,379 | $5,242 | 38% | 4,359 |
| 4 | College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL Public · 2-year | $4,560 | $12,750 | $7,401 | 25% | 16,114 |
| 5 | Kishwaukee College Malta, IL Public · 2-year | $4,560 | $13,680 | $4,574 | 42% | 1,936 |
| 6 | City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago, IL Public · 2-year | $4,590 | $15,150 | $6,375 | 32% | 4,372 |
| 7 | City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College Chicago, IL Public · 2-year | $4,590 | $15,150 | $7,397 | 27% | 4,207 |
| 8 | John A Logan College Carterville, IL Public · 2-year | $4,630 | $7,540 | $5,541 | 43% | 2,016 |
| 9 | Carl Sandburg College Galesburg, IL Public · 2-year | $5,390 | $8,900 | $3,662 | 45% | 1,051 |
| 10 | Morton College Cicero, IL Public · 2-year | $5,502 | $12,414 | $5,191 | 30% | 2,640 |
| 11 | John Wood Community College Quincy, IL Public · 2-year | $5,700 | $9,300 | $7,050 | 48% | 1,371 |
How to compare these colleges
Community college tuition is often quoted at the in-district or in-state rate, and the out-of-state column shows what a nonresident would pay. Colleges marked as also granting some bachelor's degrees are state colleges that mostly award associate degrees. If you plan to transfer, check the receiving university's transfer agreements before choosing on price alone.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for Illinois
Cheapest colleges in Illinois
50 schools
Cheap colleges in Illinois for out-of-state students
23 schools
Best value colleges in Illinois
44 schools
Highest graduate earnings in Illinois
50 schools
Most affordable private colleges in Illinois
37 schools
Same list in nearby states
Community colleges in Missouri
14 schools
Community colleges in California
87 schools
Community colleges in Texas
42 schools
All 74 colleges in Illinois See the national version of this ranking