Skip to content
CollegeRanker
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College logo

City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College

Public Chicago, IL · Urban · Great Lakes · 87% data
A Value A- Affordability C Earnings
Graduation Rate
32% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$41,625 C
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$6,375 A-
63% less than the typical college
Enrollment
4,372
Earnings +2% vs avg
Graduation -44% vs avg
Net Price +-63% vs avg

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 42.5× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $42.5 over 20 years.

42.5× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $42.5 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,057,099.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduation of 32% — 44% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $42.5 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Matters

City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College is a public community college in Chicago, IL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by an above-average alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Community College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
4,372
Setting
Urban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Precision Production, Computer Science & IT, Engineering

Why students choose City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College

Strong STEM core
A heavy concentration in technical fields
Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 39% overall
C
Earnings
$41,625 median
A
Value
6.5× net price
A-
Affordability
$6,375/yr net
F
Graduation
32% graduate
C
Diversity
0.56 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Graduates from City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College earn an average of $41,625 ten years after enrollment. This figure reflects the college's focus on practical programs that prepare students for the workforce, particularly in fields like Computer Science, Engineering, and Legal Studies.

Data from Chetty/Opportunity Insights indicates that while specific mobility metrics are not available, the college serves a diverse student body, with 26% of students receiving Pell Grants. This suggests that many students come from low-income backgrounds, and the college plays a vital role in providing educational access and opportunities in the Chicago area.

The net price for attending Wilbur Wright College is $6,375, and the median debt for graduates stands at $6,500. This combination of affordability and manageable debt levels makes it an attractive option for students seeking to enter the job market without significant financial burdens. Students who thrive here typically value hands-on learning and are looking for practical skills that lead directly to employment.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Chicago, Illinois, City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 32%.

Retention Rate
72%
Full-Time Faculty
27%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$13,431
Student–Faculty Ratio
29:1
Diversity Index
0.56
First-Gen Students
57%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College is $15,150, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $6,375. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,645 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $6,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$4,590
Out-of-State
$15,150
Avg Net Price
$6,375
Median Debt
$6,500
Pell Grant Rate
26%
Federal Loan Rate
1%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$5,645
Family Income $30K–$48K
$5,916
Family Income $48K–$75K
$7,930

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College report median earnings of $41,625, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$33,808
8 Years
$38,987
10 Years
$41,625
Debt-to-Earnings
0.16x
Earning > $25K
49%

Earnings Trajectory

$33,808 6yr $38,987 8yr $41,625 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (128)
13%
100% (128)
13%
100% (128)
13%
100% (128)
13%

How City Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation32%Earnings 10yr$42KNet Price$6KRetention72%Median Debt$7KPell Grant Rate26%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$6K$0-30K$6K$30-48K$8K$48-75K

College ROI Calculator

Is City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $6,375/year ($25,500 total). Graduates earn $41,625 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,082,599 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,057,099 (42.5× your investment). The median debt is $6,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 32% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$25,500
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,082,599
Net Return
$1,057,099
ROI Multiple
42.5×
Cost Per Year
$6,375
Median Debt
$6,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
32%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.03, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.07). Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.03
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.07
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.1%
Support Ratio
0.89
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Top Programs

The fields City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Chicago, Illinois, City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 32%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College is $15,150, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $6,375. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,645 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $6,500 in federal student loans.

Is City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College report median earnings of $41,625, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

How Connected Is City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.03, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.07). Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys