Prairie State College

202 South Halsted Street
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
Top Ranked (2024): View Rankings
  • Prairie State College is a two-year community college offering associate degrees, technical and career studies certificates, plus adult, corporate and continuing education. We're the first Illinois community college to guarantee all of our degree and technical certificate programs. We're honored to be recognized for the quality of our programs and services through six awards for excellence from the Illinois Community College Board - more than any other college in the state.

School Highlights

Prairie State College serves 2,716 students (32% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 7:1 is lower than the state community college average of 12:1.
Minority enrollment is 75% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the state average of 47%.

Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 2,716 students
  • In-state tuition: $7,644
  • Out-state tuition: $9,084
  • Student:teacher ratio: 7:1
  • Minority enrollment: 75%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

Prairie State College ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Illinois for:

Category
Attribute

School Overview

The teacher population of 369 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Prairie State College
(IL) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associates Colleges
Associates Colleges
Institution Level
At least 2 but less than 4 years
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Public
Public
Total Faculty
369 staff
239 staff
This chart display total faculty of Prairie State College and community college average number of faculty in IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of Prairie State College has declined by 29% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 7:1 has decreased from 10:1 over five years.
The Prairie State College diversity score of 0.69 is more than the state average of 0.64. The school's diversity has grown by 9% over five years.
Total Enrollment
2,716 students
2,581 students
This chart display the total enrollment of Prairie State College and community college average number of enrollment of IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
7:1
12:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of Prairie State College and community college average student staff ratio of IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
872 students
898 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Prairie State College and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
1,844 students
1,683 students
This chart display the total number of Part-time students enrollment of Prairie State College and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
This chart display the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Prairie State College.
This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of IL.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
287 students
40 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
872 students
944 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Prairie State College and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
22 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
1,844 students
1,683 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
10 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
n/a
132 students
% Asian
1%
5%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in Prairie State College and the percentage of Asian community college students in IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Hispanic
22%
24%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in Prairie State College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Black
44%
12%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in Prairie State College and the percentage of Black community college students in IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% White
25%
53%
This chart display the percentage of White students in Prairie State College and the percentage of White community college students in IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Two or more races
1%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in Prairie State College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Non Resident races
1%
1%
This chart display the percentage of Non Resident students in Prairie State College and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Unknown races
4%
2%
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Prairie State College.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in IL.
Diversity Score
0.69
0.64
This chart display the diversity score of Prairie State College and the community college average diversity score of IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
17%
36%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Prairie State College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
n/a
1.54%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$32,400
$31,800
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Prairie State College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of IL by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $7,644 is less than the state average of $8,163. The in-state tuition has declined by 16% over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $9,084 is less than the state average of $10,824. The out-state tuition has declined by 16% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees
$7,644
$8,163
This chart display tuition fees for an in-state student of Prairie State College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees
$9,084
$10,824
This chart display tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Prairie State College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
82%
81%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Prairie State College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
$11,331
$8,029
This chart display median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in Prairie State College and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts
$6,264
$4,600
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Prairie State College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in IL by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Acceptance Rate
n/a
89%
SAT Reading
n/a
390
SAT Math
n/a
360
SAT Writing
n/a
355
ACT Composite
n/a
17
ACT English
n/a
17
ACT Math
n/a
17
Source: 2021 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Notes

  • Prairie State College's 123-acre campus is located at South Halsted Street and Vollmer Road in Chicago Heights, Ill. Our north campus facilities, to the north of Vollmer Road, include the Health/Tech Center, Child Care Center, Physical Plant and Facilities warehouse and headquarters, the Illinois Employment and Training Center, plus four wooden temporary structures where our Adult Education programs are held. Here you'll find English as a Second Language, Literacy, Adult Basic Education and GED classes, and adult education computer labs. The main building, to the south of Vollmer Road, houses faculty and administrative offices, classrooms, laboratories, and student services facilities. A four story-building, the main campus building includes a Technology Center, where programs such as Automotive, Welding, Manufacturing Technology and Air Conditioning and Heating programs take place. Prairie State College, Illinois Community College District 515, serves thousands of residents each year in the Chicago Southland region. We additionally serve a growing number of people outside our geographic district through our corporate training and international student programs. Founded in 1957 as Bloom Township Community College, our first classes were held in 1958 in the basement of the First Christian Church. The College has come a long way since then. Bloom Community College was originally established to offer transfer liberal arts courses and occupational courses. Most students graduating in the early 1960s earned degrees in the liberal arts. Today, the College serves a more broad population, offering five types of associate's degrees (associate in arts, associate in science, associate in fine arts, associate in applied science, associate in general studies), two types of certificates (technical and career studies) and training in many other areas. Part of PSC's growth began back in 1967 when the College was reorganized as a Class I junior college. Then, with the combining of four high school districts into an enlarged territory, the College was renamed Prairie State College. The Beecher district was added to District 515 in 1989 by the Illinois Community College Board. The college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Prairie State College cost?
Prairie State College's tuition is approximately $7,644 for In-State students and $9,084 for Out-State students.
What is Prairie State College's ranking?
Prairie State College ranks among the top 20% of community college in Illinois for: Diversity in US community colleges.

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 2,716 students
  • In-state tuition: $7,644
  • Out-state tuition: $9,084
  • Student:teacher ratio: 7:1
  • Minority enrollment: 75%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

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Did You Know?

For Cook County, IL public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $8,645 per year for in-state students and $9,960 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $13,659 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

The average community college acceptance rate in Cook County, IL is 75%. Read more about national community college acceptance rates.

Cook County, IL community colleges have a diversity score of 0.60, which is lower than the national average of 0.70. The most diverse community college in Cook County, IL is City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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