Best Community Colleges in Illinois by Salary Potential
Thinking about going for that associate degree? Check out Illinois’ top community colleges based on graduate earning potential.
| Rank | School Name | School Sector | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: Oakton Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$49,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$73,600 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:2% |
| Rank:1 | School Name: William Rainey Harper College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$46,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$73,600 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:2% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Prairie State College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$48,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$72,900 | % High Meaning:66% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:4 | School Name:Morton College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$45,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$71,900 | % High Meaning:65% | % STEM Degrees:4% |
| Rank:5 | School Name:Morrison Institute of Technology | School Sector:Private not-for-profit | Early Career Pay:$46,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$70,700 | % High Meaning:44% | % STEM Degrees:16% |
| Rank:5 | School Name: - Carbondale Campus_50px.gif) Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$47,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$70,700 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: Triton College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$47,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$69,900 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
| Rank:8 | School Name: Benedictine University | School Sector:Private not-for-profit | Early Career Pay:$47,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$69,600 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:9 | School Name:Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences | School Sector:Private not-for-profit | Early Career Pay:$47,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$69,300 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: Roosevelt University | School Sector:Private not-for-profit | Early Career Pay:$47,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$68,000 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:12% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: College of DuPage | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$45,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$67,500 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:9% |
| Rank:12 | School Name: College of Lake County | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$44,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$67,400 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:2% |
| Rank:13 | School Name: Elgin Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$44,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$67,300 | % High Meaning:56% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: Moraine Valley Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$44,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$67,200 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:15 | School Name:South Suburban College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$47,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$67,000 | % High Meaning:62% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
| Rank:16 | School Name: Joliet Junior College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$44,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$66,700 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:4% |
| Rank:17 | School Name:MacCormac College | School Sector:Private not-for-profit | Early Career Pay:$44,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$65,900 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:18 | School Name:City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$45,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$65,800 | % High Meaning:72% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:19 | School Name:City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$45,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$65,700 | % High Meaning:69% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
| Rank:20 | School Name: Rock Valley College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$43,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$65,500 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:21 | School Name: Lewis and Clark Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$44,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$65,400 | % High Meaning:67% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:22 | School Name: City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$43,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$64,800 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:22 | School Name:City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$47,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$64,800 | % High Meaning:81% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:24 | School Name:Lincoln Land Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$41,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$64,300 | % High Meaning:65% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
| Rank:25 | School Name:Kishwaukee College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$44,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$64,200 | % High Meaning:61% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
An associate degree can kickstart your career with a smaller time and money investment than attending four-year college. If you are looking for a school to pursue an associate degree in Illinois, make sure to look at how much alumni from that college earn as you consider your decision.
Of the 2-year colleges in the Payscale database, the College of DuPage is the largest. Two colleges have under 5,000 undergraduates: Robert Morris University and Danville Area Community College. Only one college has a strong STEM focus, DeVry University, which grants about 58 percent STEM degrees. The next highest in STEM degrees is Robert Morris University, with only about 10 percent. Interestingly, both Jim Belushi and Paul Spicer graduated from the College of DuPage.
With the largest concentration of land, air and water transportation facilities in the world, Illinois acts as a national hub. Top job industries include machinery, food processing, electric equipment, chemical products and coal and transportation equipment.