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Lincoln Land Community College

#8 Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois
Public Springfield, IL · Rural · Great Lakes · 87% data
A Value A Affordability C- Earnings
Graduation Rate
45% D+
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$38,479 C-
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$4,299 A
75% less than the typical college
Enrollment
3,976
Earnings -6% vs avg
Graduation -21% vs avg
Net Price +-75% vs avg
Mobility Top 87%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 53.5× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $53.5 over 20 years. Ranked #8 in Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois.

53.5× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $53.5 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $902,387.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Graduation of 45% — 21% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $53.5 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Lincoln Land Community College Matters

Lincoln Land Community College is a public college in Springfield, 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 College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
3,976
Setting
Rural
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Humanities, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Transportation

Why students choose Lincoln Land Community College

Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C
Top 47% overall
C-
Earnings
$38,479 median
A
Value
9.0× net price
A
Affordability
$4,299/yr net
D+
Graduation
45% graduate
F
Social Mobility
0.8% climb Q1→Q5
D+
Diversity
0.46 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Lincoln Land Community College serves nearly 4,000 students, making it a key player in Springfield, IL’s educational landscape. With a net price of just $4,299, it offers an affordable pathway to higher education, attracting students looking for cost-effective options.

The earnings potential for graduates is notable, with a median income of $38,479 ten years after enrollment. While the graduation rate sits at 45%, the college's programs in health professions, humanities, and technical fields suggest a focus on practical skills that can lead to stable employment. The Pell Grant rate at 36% indicates a significant portion of students come from low-income backgrounds, highlighting the college’s role in promoting access to education.

Students who thrive here typically value hands-on learning and aim for careers in growing fields. With a median debt of $11,011, graduates often find themselves in a better financial position relative to their investment in education. Lincoln Land Community College is a solid choice for those seeking a practical, affordable education that leads to real-world opportunities.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Lincoln Land Community 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 Lincoln Land Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

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

Retention Rate
72%
Full-Time Faculty
48%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$10,431
Student–Faculty Ratio
15:1
Diversity Index
0.46
First-Gen Students
47%

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 Lincoln Land Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Lincoln Land Community College is $10,464, 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 $4,299. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $1,079 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,011 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$3,744
Out-of-State
$10,464
Avg Net Price
$4,299
Median Debt
$11,011
Pell Grant Rate
36%
Federal Loan Rate
18%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$1,079
Family Income $30K–$48K
$2,209
Family Income $48K–$75K
$5,103
Family Income $110K+
$11,452

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 Lincoln Land Community 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 Lincoln Land Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Lincoln Land Community College report median earnings of $38,479, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$33,145
8 Years
$35,969
10 Years
$38,479
Debt-to-Earnings
0.29x
Earning > $25K
45%

Earnings Trajectory

$33,145 6yr $35,969 8yr $38,479 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (194)
26%
100% (194)
26%
100% (194)
26%
100% (194)
26%

How Lincoln Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation45%Earnings 10yr$38KNet Price$4KRetention72%Median Debt$11KPell Grant Rate36%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$1K$0-30K$2K$30-48K$5K$48-75K$11K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%10.1%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%8.0%MOBILITY0.81%

College ROI Calculator

Is Lincoln Land Community College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Lincoln Land Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $4,299/year ($17,196 total). Graduates earn $38,479 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $919,583 in total earnings — a net gain of $902,387 (53.5× your investment). The median debt is $11,011, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 45% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$17,196
Projected 20yr Earnings
$919,583
Net Return
$902,387
ROI Multiple
53.5×
Cost Per Year
$4,299
Median Debt
$11,011
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
45%

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 Lincoln Land Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Lincoln Land 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 0.81%, in line with strong performers nationally. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 10.1% 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 8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $72,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
0.81%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
8.0%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
10.1%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$98,774
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Lincoln Land Community 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 Lincoln Land Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.08, 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.

Economic Connectedness
1.08
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.02
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
8.0%
Support Ratio
0.99
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).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income
$937,258

Top Programs

The fields Lincoln Land 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.

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 Lincoln Land Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

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

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

Published tuition at Lincoln Land Community College is $10,464, 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 $4,299. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $1,079 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,011 in federal student loans.

Is Lincoln Land Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Lincoln Land Community College report median earnings of $38,479, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

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

Lincoln Land 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 0.81%, in line with strong performers nationally. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 10.1% 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 8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $72,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Lincoln Land Community 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 Lincoln Land Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.08, 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 Lincoln Land Community 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