Gem City College

700 State St
Quincy, IL 62301
Top-Ranked (2026-27): View Rankings
  • Quincy Beauty Academy has been in continuous operation since 1945, training students in the skills of cosmetology. It became a Division of Gem City College on January 1, 1975.

School Highlights

Gem City College serves 41 students (100% of students are full-time).
The college's student-teacher ratio of 10:1 is lower than the state community college average of 33:1.
Minority enrollment is 25% of the student body (majority Asian), which is less than the state average of 54%.

Quick Facts (26-27)

  • Enrollment: 41 students
  • Student-teacher ratio: 10:1
  • Minority enrollment: 25%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

Gem City College ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Illinois for:

Category
Attribute
Completion Rates

School Overview

The teacher population of 4 teachers has declined by 42% over five years.
Gem City College
(IL) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or nondegree-granting)
Associate's Colleges
Institution Level
Less than 2 years (below associate)
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Private for-profit
Public
Total Faculty
4 staff
94 staff
Number of Programs Offered
5
8

Student Body

The student population of Gem City College has grown by 51% over five years.
The student-teacher ratio of 10:1 has increased from 4:1 over five years.
The Gem City College diversity score of 0.41 is less than the state average of 0.69. The school's diversity has grown by 12% over five years.
Total Enrollment
41 students
3,095 students

Showing 2012–2025. View full 19-year historical data

Student-Teacher Ratio
10:1
33:1
# Full-Time Students
41 students
1,013 students

Showing 2012–2025. View full 19-year historical data

# Enrollment Undergraduate
41 students
2,720 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
41 students
1,082 students

Showing 2012–2025. View full 19-year historical data

% Asian
16%
5%
% Hispanic
1%
28%
% Black
4%
13%
% White
75%
46%

Showing 2010–2025. View full 19-year historical data

% Hawaiian
3%
n/a
Diversity Score
0.41
0.69

Showing 2010–2025. View full 19-year historical data

College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
75%
38%

Showing 2015–2025. View full 19-year historical data

Median Earnings 10 Years After Entry (measured in 2022-2023, in 2024 dollars)
$23,728
$42,901

Points are in the dollars of their own College Scorecard release, and the colleges behind the state line differ by period. The lines do not show inflation-adjusted growth.

Tuition & Financial Aid

% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
76%
80%

Showing 2012–2025. View full 19-year historical data

Median Debt for Graduates
$9,651
$8,029
Median Debt for Dropouts
$4,750
$3,500
Source: 2025 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) , School Administrators

School Notes

  • Your training at Quincy Beauty Academy is merely the beginning to a whole lifetime of learning. This basic training can be expanded upon to allow you to have many different careers - all in the cosmetology profession. Excellence - it's a well-known tradition at Gem City College School of Horology. Recommendations by master jewelers across the country attest to Gem City's reputation as one of the best training centers available for learning the fine art of watchmaking, clock repair, engraving and jewelry design and repair. We offer training that can give you immediate recognition as a qualified craftsman with skills that are in great demand! Each lesson in the GCC home study program is made up on text material, a self-check test and a practical job assignment. When students have completed a job assignment, they return it to the school for correction, evaluation, and comments by the instructor. Thus, the instructor can spot both strengths and areas in which more work is needed while the student progresses through the training. Instructors will suggest ways for the students to overcome difficulties and answer any questions about the work. Students receive careful, personal attention from their instructor. The instructors engaged in the GCC Home Study Program are experts in their fields. The classroom teaching experience makes them well acquainted with the types of problems commonly encountered by beginning students. Also they have had experience working in their own jewelry and watch repair businesses, so they know the practical problems which face professional jewelers. Specially constructed carousel stations provided attractive working space for the advanced students. Those in the beginning stages of study have access to the facilities. Instruction is implemented by audio-visual aids, and new techniques allow an up-to-date curriculum.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Gem City College's ranking?
Gem City College ranks among the top 20% of community college in Illinois for: Highest completion rates.

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Quick Facts (26-27)

  • Enrollment: 41 students
  • Student-teacher ratio: 10:1
  • Minority enrollment: 25%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

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