Sauk Valley Community College
- Graduation Rate
- 50% C-
- About half of students who start complete their degree
- Earnings (10yr)
- $40,458 C
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $8,493 B+
- 50% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 1,158
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 28.1× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $28.1 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $28.1 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $920,392.
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 $28.1 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Sauk Valley Community College Matters
Sauk Valley Community College is a public college in Dixon, 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
- 1,158
- Setting
- Rural
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Health Professions, Precision Production, Mechanic & Repair Tech
Why students choose Sauk 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 $8,493 a year after grants and scholarships — 50% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $40,458 ten years after enrolling — 1% below the typical college, against $8,250 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.4% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 53% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.09 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Sauk Valley Community College has a net price of just $8,493, making it an affordable option for students seeking higher education. With a small enrollment of 1,158, the college fosters a tight-knit community that can enhance the learning experience.
Graduates from Sauk Valley Community College earn a median income of $40,458 ten years after completing their degree. While the graduation rate stands at 50%, the college supports students who may need extra resources, as 33% of attendees receive Pell Grants. This financial assistance can help ease the burden of educational costs and improve outcomes for students from low-income backgrounds.
Students thrive here when they are focused on practical programs such as Health Professions, Business & Marketing, or Precision Production. The average debt for graduates is relatively low at $8,250, allowing for a smoother transition into the workforce without overwhelming financial pressure. This community college is a solid choice for those looking to enter the job market quickly or transfer to a four-year institution later on.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Sauk 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 Sauk Valley Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Dixon, Illinois, Sauk Valley Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 50%.
- Retention Rate
- 74%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 46%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $7,662
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 13:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.43
- First-Gen Students
- 48%
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 Sauk Valley Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Sauk Valley Community College is $12,900, 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 $8,493. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,027 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $8,250 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $5,340
- Out-of-State
- $12,900
- Avg Net Price
- $8,493
- Median Debt
- $8,250
- Pell Grant Rate
- 33%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 7%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $5,027
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $7,182
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $8,884
- Family Income $110K+
- $14,155
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 Sauk 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 Sauk Valley Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Sauk Valley Community College report median earnings of $40,458, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $35,185
- 8 Years
- $38,309
- 10 Years
- $40,458
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.2x
- Earning > $25K
- 47%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (80)
- 30%
- 100% (80)
- 30%
- 100% (80)
- 30%
- 100% (80)
- 30%
How Sauk 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 Sauk Valley Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Sauk Valley Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $8,493/year ($33,972 total). Graduates earn $40,458 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $954,364 in total earnings — a net gain of $920,392 (28.1× your investment). The median debt is $8,250, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 50% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $33,972
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $954,364
- Net Return
- $920,392
- ROI Multiple
- 28.1×
- Cost Per Year
- $8,493
- Median Debt
- $8,250
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 50%
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 Sauk Valley Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Sauk 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 1.42%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 13.8% 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 10.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $64,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.42%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 10.2%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 13.8%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $88,176
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $6,689,266
- Investment Income
- $-469,762
Top Programs
The fields Sauk 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.
- Humanities 31%
- Health Professions 29% $63,187 early-career
- Precision Production 17% $36,565 early-career
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 4%
- Business & Marketing 4%
- Transportation 4%
- Visual & Performing Arts 1%
- Computer Science & IT 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 Sauk 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 Sauk Valley Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Dixon, Illinois, Sauk Valley Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 50%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Sauk Valley Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Sauk Valley Community College is $12,900, 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 $8,493. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,027 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $8,250 in federal student loans.
Is Sauk Valley Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Sauk Valley Community College report median earnings of $40,458, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Sauk Valley Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Sauk 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 1.42%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 13.8% 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 10.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $64,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Sauk 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 above average at Sauk Valley Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.09, 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 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Sauk Valley Community College.
- Arkansas State University-NewportNewport, AR · Close peer44% grad $41,524 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Seward County Community CollegeLiberal, KS · Close peer48% grad $41,445 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Garden City Community CollegeGarden City, KS · Close peer46% grad $41,704 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Suncoast Technical CollegeSarasota, FL · Close peer51% grad $40,621 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Rend Lake CollegeIna, IL · Close peer62% grad $35,775 earnWhy: similar size · similar net price · same state
- North Iowa Area Community CollegeMason City, IA · Close peer58% grad $43,462 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Sauk 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 above average at Sauk Valley Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.09, 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 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note