Waubonsee Community College
#9 Best Nursing Colleges in Illinois- Graduation Rate
- 40% D
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $44,788 C+
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $11,442 B
- 33% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 5,721
Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 23.0× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $23.0 over 20 years. Ranked #9 in Best Nursing Colleges in Illinois.
Every $1 spent returns $23.0 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,008,354.
What The Data Says
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A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduation of 40% — 30% below the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $23.0 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Waubonsee Community College Matters
Waubonsee Community College is a public community college in Sugar Grove, IL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Community College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 5,721
- Setting
- Rural
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Health Professions, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Computer Science & IT
Why students choose Waubonsee 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 $11,442 a year after grants and scholarships — 33% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $44,788 ten years after enrolling — 10% above the typical college, against $7,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 0.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 85% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.33 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Waubonsee Community College serves over 5,700 students, making it a solid choice for those seeking an accessible education in Illinois. With a focus on practical skills, the college offers programs in high-demand fields like Health Professions and Mechanic & Repair Tech.
According to data from Opportunity Insights, students at Waubonsee have a median earnings of $44,788 ten years after graduation. While the graduation rate sits at 40%, those who complete their programs often find stable employment, particularly in the college's strong vocational areas.
The net price for attendance is approximately $11,442, and the median debt for graduates is a manageable $7,000. This financial structure makes Waubonsee an attractive option for students looking to minimize debt while entering the workforce. The college supports a diverse student body, including those drawn to technical and professional training.
Rankings
- #9 Best Nursing Colleges in Illinois
- #12 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Illinois
- #16 Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Illinois
- #18 Best Online Nursing Programs in Illinois
- #24 Best Computer Science Colleges in Illinois
- #24 Best Data Science Colleges in Illinois
- #24 Best Online Computer Science Programs in Illinois
- #29 Best Colleges in Illinois
Can I Get In?
How selective Waubonsee 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 Waubonsee Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Waubonsee Community College, located in Sugar Grove, Illinois, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 40%.
- Retention Rate
- 70%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 20%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $12,797
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 20:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.63
- 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 Waubonsee Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Waubonsee Community College is $10,477, 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 $11,442. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,360 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $3,504
- Out-of-State
- $10,477
- Avg Net Price
- $11,442
- Median Debt
- $7,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 21%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 6%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $7,360
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $8,641
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $11,806
- Family Income $110K+
- $18,171
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 Waubonsee 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 Waubonsee Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Waubonsee Community College report median earnings of $44,788, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $39,016
- 8 Years
- $41,993
- 10 Years
- $44,788
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.16x
- Earning > $25K
- 56%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (162)
- 17%
- 100% (162)
- 17%
- 100% (162)
- 17%
- 100% (162)
- 17%
How Waubonsee 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 Waubonsee Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Waubonsee Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $11,442/year ($45,768 total). Graduates earn $44,788 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,054,122 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,008,354 (23.0× your investment). The median debt is $7,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 40% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $45,768
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,054,122
- Net Return
- $1,008,354
- ROI Multiple
- 23.0×
- Cost Per Year
- $11,442
- Median Debt
- $7,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 40%
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 Waubonsee Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Waubonsee 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 0.85%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 6.3% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 13.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $88,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 0.85%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 13.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 6.3%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $120,376
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $6,076,902
- Investment Income
- $-3,961,260
Top Programs
The fields Waubonsee 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 30%
- Health Professions 24% $72,840 early-career
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 11%
- Computer Science & IT 4%
- Criminal Justice 4%
- Precision Production 3%
- Business & Marketing 3%
- Legal Studies 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 Waubonsee 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 Waubonsee Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Waubonsee Community College, located in Sugar Grove, Illinois, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 40%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Waubonsee Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Waubonsee Community College is $10,477, 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 $11,442. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,360 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,000 in federal student loans.
Is Waubonsee Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Waubonsee Community College report median earnings of $44,788, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Waubonsee Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Waubonsee 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 0.85%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 6.3% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 13.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $88,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Waubonsee 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 Waubonsee Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.33, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.05), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Waubonsee Community College.
- Ocean County CollegeToms River, NJ · Close peer40% grad $45,210 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Southern Maine Community CollegeSouth Portland, ME · Close peer24% grad $41,661 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Monterey Peninsula CollegeMonterey, CA · Close peer35% grad $42,176 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Los Angeles Harbor CollegeWilmington, CA · Close peer36% grad $41,133 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Frederick Community CollegeFrederick, MD · Close peer36% grad $46,449 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester CampusSewell, NJ · Close peer36% grad $41,751 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Waubonsee 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 Waubonsee Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.33, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.05), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note