Lake Land College
#2 Best Trade Schools- Graduation Rate
- 56% C
- About half of students who start complete their degree
- Earnings (10yr)
- $38,877 C-
- Below average for college graduates
- Net Price
- $2,254 A+
- 87% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 2,448
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 102.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $102.2 over 20 years. Ranked #2 in Best Trade Schools.
Every $1 spent returns $102.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $912,368.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Every $1 invested returns $102.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Lake Land College Matters
Lake Land College is a public college in Mattoon, IL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity 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 College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 2,448
- Setting
- Rural
- Primary Strengths
- Construction Trades, Humanities, Health Professions, Culinary & Personal Services
Why students choose Lake Land College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $2,254 a year after grants and scholarships — 87% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $38,877 ten years after enrolling — 5% below the typical college, against $6,188 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.2% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 65% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.18 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Students at Lake Land College benefit from a remarkably low net price of just $2,254. This affordable cost makes higher education accessible for many. With an enrollment of 2,448 students, the college fosters a tight-knit community.
The opportunity for upward mobility is evident in the earnings of graduates, who average $38,877 ten years after enrollment. While specific mobility data is not available, a graduation rate of 56% suggests that many students successfully complete their programs and enter the workforce. The college serves a diverse range of programs, from construction trades to health professions, supporting various career paths.
Financially, Lake Land College is a strong choice. The median debt for graduates stands at $6,188, which is manageable compared to typical student loan burdens. With about 26% of students receiving Pell Grants, the college helps low-income students access education. Those who thrive here are often those looking for practical skills and a supportive environment to jumpstart their careers.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Lake Land College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Lake Land College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Lake Land College, located in Mattoon, Illinois, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 56%.
- Retention Rate
- 72%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 72%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $6,125
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 19:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.24
- First-Gen Students
- 44%
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 Lake Land College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Lake Land College is $14,301, 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 $2,254. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $979 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $6,188 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $4,415
- Out-of-State
- $14,301
- Avg Net Price
- $2,254
- Median Debt
- $6,188
- Pell Grant Rate
- 26%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 5%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $979
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $232
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $4,181
- Family Income $110K+
- $8,381
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 Lake Land 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 Lake Land College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Lake Land College report median earnings of $38,877, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $33,693
- 8 Years
- $36,833
- 10 Years
- $38,877
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.16x
- Earning > $25K
- 47%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (251)
- 33%
- 100% (251)
- 33%
- 100% (251)
- 33%
- 100% (251)
- 33%
How Lake Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Lake Land College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Lake Land College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $2,254/year ($9,016 total). Graduates earn $38,877 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $921,384 in total earnings — a net gain of $912,368 (102.2× your investment). The median debt is $6,188, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 56% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $9,016
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $921,384
- Net Return
- $912,368
- ROI Multiple
- 102.2×
- Cost Per Year
- $2,254
- Median Debt
- $6,188
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 56%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Lake Land College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Lake Land College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.21%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12% 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 10.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $63,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.21%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 10.1%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 12.0%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $86,682
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $7
- Investment Income
- $-3,114,848
Top Programs
The fields Lake Land 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.
- Construction Trades 21%
- Humanities 18%
- Health Professions 15% $67,428 early-career
- Culinary & Personal Services 9% $22,228 early-career
- Business & Marketing 5% $24,413 early-career
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 5%
- Precision Production 2%
- Computer Science & IT 1% $38,867 early-career
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.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Lake Land College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Lake Land College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Lake Land College, located in Mattoon, Illinois, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 56%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Lake Land College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Lake Land College is $14,301, 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 $2,254. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $979 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $6,188 in federal student loans.
Is Lake Land College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Lake Land College report median earnings of $38,877, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Lake Land College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Lake Land College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.21%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12% 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 10.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $63,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Lake Land College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Lake Land College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.18, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Lake Land College.
- Illinois Valley Community CollegeOglesby, IL · Close peer43% grad $40,810 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Lewis and Clark Community CollegeGodfrey, IL · Close peer46% grad $37,724 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Wayne Community CollegeGoldsboro, NC · Close peer53% grad $34,148 earnWhy: similar grad rate · similar size · similar net price
- Bridgerland Technical CollegeLogan, UT · Close peer70% grad $38,347 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Ogden-Weber Technical CollegeOgden, UT · Close peer54% grad $35,032 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Manatee Technical CollegeBradenton, FL · Close peer72% grad $38,129 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Lake Land College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Lake Land College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.18, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note