Highland Community College

Overview

Rankings

• #18 Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Highland Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Freeport, Illinois, Highland Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 45%.

Retention Rate

70%

Full-Time Faculty

51%

Faculty Salary (mo)

$10,991

Student–Faculty Ratio

11:1

Diversity Index

0.53

First-Gen Students

48%

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Highland Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Highland Community College is $7,360, 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 $5,713. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $3,598 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $8,029 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition

$4,936

Out-of-State

$7,360

Avg Net Price

$5,713

Median Debt

$8,029

Pell Grant Rate

32%

Federal Loan Rate

5%

Students Like You

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

Graduate Outcomes

Is Highland Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Highland Community College report median earnings of $37,928, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry

$33,425

8 Years

$34,984

10 Years

$37,928

Debt-to-Earnings

0.21x

Earning > $25K

44%

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Highland Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Highland Community College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.03%, a more modest figure. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 30800% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 0.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder.

Mobility Rate

0.03%

Bottom 20% → Top 20%

Success Rate

0.2%

If bottom 20% get in

From Bottom 20%

30800.0%

Share of students

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income

$72,173

Top Programs

The fields Highland Community 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.

• Humanities 33%
• Health Professions 21% $63,565 early-career
• Transportation 8%
• Business & Marketing 5%
• Precision Production 5%
• Mechanic & Repair Tech 2%
• Education 1%
• Culinary & Personal Services 1%

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.