City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
Chicago, Illinois · Website
$36,531
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$36,531
median earnings, 10 years after starting
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College is a public 2-year college in Chicago, Illinois with 4,207 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $7,397 a year (tuition and fees $4,590 in-state, $15,150 out-of-state). 26% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $36,531 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $5,750 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$7,397
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$4,590
Out-of-state $15,150
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
26%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$5,750
About $61 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$36,531
Rank 3,263 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $7,397
- Tuition in-state
- $4,590
- Tuition out-of-state
- $15,150
- Cost of attendance
- $14,726
- Students with a need-based grant
- 36%
- Students with federal loans
- 2.3%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $6,911
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $6,728
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $9,347
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $9,922
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $11,657
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $3,506 in 2015-16 to $4,590 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 4,207
- Part-time students
- 55%
- Women
- 59%
- Students per teacher
- 20
- Completion rate
- 26%
- Retention rate
- 59%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 41
- Other
- Hispanic-serving, Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 3,263 of 5,094 US colleges and 124 of 189 in Illinois (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | IL median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $7,397 | $15,156 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $4,590 | $13,291 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 77% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 26% | 59% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 59% | 72% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $5,750 | $10,297 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $29,483 | $34,234 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $36,531 | $39,544 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 24% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 49% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
41 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 783 | $5,000 | $29,168 | $44,635 | $44,125 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCertificate | Certificate | 422 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's | Associate's | 167 | $6,125 | $27,451 | $51,025 | $50,181 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 83 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,135 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 69 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Accounting and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 46 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,589 |
| Graphic CommunicationsCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Architectural Sciences and TechnologyAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,403 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,184 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementCertificate | Certificate | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Fine and Studio ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,650 |
| Computer ProgrammingCertificate | Certificate | 7 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Legal Support ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,669 |
| MusicCertificate | Certificate | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Engineering, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $72,916 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $61,907 |
| Graphic CommunicationsAssociate's | Associate's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,221 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasAssociate's | Associate's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| MarketingCertificate | Certificate | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Social WorkCertificate | Certificate | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| MusicAssociate's | Associate's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,056 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 3 | Withheld | $45,261 | Withheld | $53,418 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media ManagementCertificate | Certificate | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,660 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Chicago and Illinois on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Illinois
- Homes: Homes for sale in Illinois
Questions and answers
How much does City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College cost?
$7,397 a year is the average net price at City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $4,590 for in-state students and $15,150 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $14,726. Families earning under $30,000 pay $6,911 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College?
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College graduates earn?
$36,531 a year is the median pay of former City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College students who work, 10 years after they started ($29,483 after 6 years). That ranks 3,263 of 5,094 US colleges and 124 of 189 in Illinois. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Finance and Financial Management Services (Certificate) at $45,261.
How much student debt do City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College graduates have?
$5,750 is the median federal student loan debt of City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College graduates, about $61 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 2.3% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College?
26% of first-time, full-time students at City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College finish within 3 years. 59% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (783 associate's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (422 certificate graduates), Biological and Physical Sciences (167 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 41 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.