Moraine Valley Community College
#4 Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois- Graduation Rate
- 37% D
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $43,892 C+
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $2,829 A+
- 83% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 7,490
Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 104.0× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $104.0 over 20 years. Ranked #4 in Most Affordable Colleges in Illinois.
Every $1 spent returns $104.0 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,165,708.
What The Data Says
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A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Graduation of 37% — 36% below the national average.
-
Every $1 invested returns $104.0 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.1%
- Top 93%
- Patents
- 28
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 44
- Downstream influence
Why Moraine Valley Community College Matters
Moraine Valley Community College is a public college in Palos Hills, 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
- 7,490
- Setting
- Suburban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Health Professions, Humanities, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Computer Science & IT
Why students choose Moraine Valley Community 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 $2,829 a year after grants and scholarships — 83% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $43,892 ten years after enrolling — 8% above the typical college, against $9,500 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.3% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 62% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.49 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Moraine Valley Community College serves 7,490 students and offers a low net price of just $2,829. This makes it an accessible option for those looking to start their higher education journey without accumulating significant debt.
The college's average earnings 10 years post-graduation stand at $43,892. While the graduation rate is 37%, this figure reflects the challenges many community college students face. The Chetty/Opportunity Insights data is not available, but the earnings indicate that graduates can find stable jobs in fields such as health professions, computer science, and business.
Students thrive here when they are focused on practical skills and career readiness. With a median debt of $9,500, graduates leave with manageable financial burdens. The college attracts individuals seeking to advance their careers or start anew, especially those in the bottom 20% of income who can benefit from targeted support and affordable education.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Moraine Valley Community 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 Moraine Valley Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Moraine Valley Community College, located in Palos Hills, Illinois, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 37%.
- Retention Rate
- 75%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 32%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $9,006
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 18:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.70
- First-Gen Students
- 49%
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 Moraine Valley Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Moraine Valley Community College is $9,846, 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 $2,829. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $2,710 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,500 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $3,822
- Out-of-State
- $9,846
- Avg Net Price
- $2,829
- Median Debt
- $9,500
- Pell Grant Rate
- 28%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 3%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $2,710
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $11,590
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $13,971
- Family Income $110K+
- $13,971
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 Moraine Valley 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 Moraine Valley Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Moraine Valley Community College report median earnings of $43,892, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $34,943
- 8 Years
- $38,803
- 10 Years
- $43,892
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.22x
- Earning > $25K
- 48%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (260)
- 16%
- 100% (260)
- 16%
- 100% (260)
- 16%
- 100% (260)
- 16%
How Moraine 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 Moraine Valley Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Moraine Valley Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $2,829/year ($11,316 total). Graduates earn $43,892 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,177,024 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,165,708 (104.0× your investment). The median debt is $9,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 37% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $11,316
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,177,024
- Net Return
- $1,165,708
- ROI Multiple
- 104.0×
- Cost Per Year
- $2,829
- Median Debt
- $9,500
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 37%
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 Moraine Valley Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Moraine Valley Community 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 1.25%, well above the typical college. About 7.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 16.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $87,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.25%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 16.8%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 7.5%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $118,474
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Moraine Valley Community College produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 28 patents tied to its graduates.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.12%
- Top 93% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 28
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 44
- Downstream influence
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 0.10%
- Bottom-20% families
Top Programs
The fields Moraine Valley 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.
- Health Professions 27% $71,678 early-career
- Humanities 26%
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 13% $36,992 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 9% $40,390 early-career
- Precision Production 4%
- Business & Marketing 3% $39,544 early-career
- Criminal Justice 1% $39,686 early-career
- Engineering 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.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Moraine Valley Community 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 Moraine Valley Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Moraine Valley Community College, located in Palos Hills, Illinois, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 37%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Moraine Valley Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Moraine Valley Community College is $9,846, 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 $2,829. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $2,710 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,500 in federal student loans.
Is Moraine Valley Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Moraine Valley Community College report median earnings of $43,892, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Moraine Valley Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Moraine Valley Community 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 1.25%, well above the typical college. About 7.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 16.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $87,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Moraine Valley Community 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 Moraine Valley Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.49, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Moraine Valley Community College.
- Citrus CollegeGlendora, CA · Close peer43% grad $42,065 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Washtenaw Community CollegeAnn Arbor, MI · Close peer31% grad $39,449 earnWhy: similar grad rate · similar size
- Triton CollegeRiver Grove, IL · Close peer29% grad $41,728 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Chattahoochee Technical CollegeMarietta, GA · Close peer39% grad $37,138 earnWhy: similar grad rate · similar size
- Elgin Community CollegeElgin, IL · Close peer41% grad $45,516 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- College of Lake CountyGrayslake, IL · Close peer38% grad $43,424 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Moraine Valley Community 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 Moraine Valley Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.49, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note