Prairie State College
Chicago Heights, Illinois · Website
$36,696
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$36,696
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Prairie State College is a public 2-year college in Chicago Heights, Illinois with 2,443 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $4,738 a year (tuition and fees $4,176 in-state, $11,064 out-of-state). 21% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $36,696 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $11,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$4,738
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$4,176
Out-of-state $11,064
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
21%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$11,000
About $117 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$36,696
Rank 3,229 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
- $4,738
- Tuition in-state
- $4,176
- Tuition out-of-state
- $11,064
- Cost of attendance
- $13,908
- Students with a need-based grant
- 33%
- Students with federal loans
- 8.2%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $3,546
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $3,013
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $7,839
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $11,127
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $13,908
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 $3,432 in 2015-16 to $4,176 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
- 2,443
- Part-time students
- 64%
- Women
- 60%
- Students per teacher
- 12
- Completion rate
- 21%
- Retention rate
- 51%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 78
- Endowment
- $2.62M
- 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 3,229 of 5,094 US colleges and 123 of 189 in Illinois (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | IL median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $4,738 | $15,156 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $4,176 | $13,291 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 77% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 21% | 59% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 51% | 72% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $11,000 | $10,297 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $30,388 | $34,234 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $36,696 | $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. 25% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 51% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
78 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 | 198 | $13,949 | $34,909 | $47,062 | $44,125 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 132 | $8,750 | $30,067 | $42,205 | $56,073 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 57 | Withheld | $35,362 | $57,474 | $57,584 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 40 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,586 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | $65,505 | $61,982 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,272 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 30 | $14,500 | $68,277 | $87,212 | $80,813 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementCertificate | Certificate | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $52,615 |
| Fire ProtectionCertificate | Certificate | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $62,436 |
| Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,181 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Certificate | Certificate | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,148 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersCertificate | Certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,078 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsCertificate | Certificate | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,400 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,702 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,246 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $65,389 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,359 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,184 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $60,097 |
| Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsCertificate | Certificate | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,162 |
| Computer ProgrammingCertificate | Certificate | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,294 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersAssociate's | Associate's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $70,808 |
| Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $43,027 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $58,424 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Chicago Heights and Illinois on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Illinois
- Homes: Homes for sale in Illinois
Questions and answers
How much does Prairie State College cost?
$4,738 a year is the average net price at Prairie State College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $4,176 for in-state students and $11,064 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $13,908. Families earning under $30,000 pay $3,546 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Prairie State College?
Prairie State College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Prairie State College graduates earn?
$36,696 a year is the median pay of former Prairie State College students who work, 10 years after they started ($30,388 after 6 years). That ranks 3,229 of 5,094 US colleges and 123 of 189 in Illinois. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $68,277.
How much student debt do Prairie State College graduates have?
$11,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Prairie State College graduates, about $117 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 8.2% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Prairie State College?
21% of first-time, full-time students at Prairie State College finish within 3 years. 51% 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 Prairie State College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (198 associate's graduates), Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (132 certificate graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (57 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 78 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.