Prairie State College

Chicago Heights, Illinois

Public Suburb: Large

Prairie State College is a public institution in Chicago Heights, Illinois enrolling 2,443 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.. Graduates earn a median of $36,696 ten years after enrollment, based on U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid data. The average net price after financial aid is $4,738. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Prairie State College

Prairie State College operates as a public institution located in Chicago Heights, Illinois (suburb: large), with a total reported enrollment of 2,443 students of which 6,382 are undergraduates. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile’s peer group and cost cohort are determined. Prairie State College is categorized as “6” under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Selectivity and financial signals give context to what applicants can expect. Admission rate data is not currently reported for this institution. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $4,738, with published in-state tuition of $4,176 and a Pell grant recipient share of 33.0%. Median federal student debt at graduation is $11,000, drawn from the U.S. Treasury-matched College Scorecard file.

Outcomes reveal whether the investment pays back. Four-year completion rate data is unavailable, rising to 20.1% at six years. Graduates earn a median of $36,696 ten years after enrolling, compared with $30,388 six years post-enrollment. Within three years of entering repayment, 112700.0% of borrowers are making progress on their federal loans, and 42.8% of graduates earn above the high-school threshold. Treating these numbers as a single snapshot alongside the cost cohort is the standard approach for evaluating ROI under the College Scorecard methodology.

Quick Facts

2,443
Total enrollment
Acceptance rate
SAT average
4-yr graduation rate
$36,696
10-yr median earnings
First-year retention

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $4,176
Out-of-State Tuition $11,064
Average Net Price $4,738

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $3,546
$30,001 – $48,000 $3,013
$48,001 – $75,000 $7,839
Over $110,000 $13,908
33.0%
Pell Grant Rate
8.2%
Federal Loan Rate
$11,000
Median Debt
$117/mo
Monthly Payment

Student Demographics

White 12.3%
African American 52.6%
Hispanic or Latino 23.5%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
Pacific Islander 0.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.7%
International 1.7%
63.1%
Female
39.3%
First Generation

Outcomes

20.1%
6-Year Completion Rate
$30,388
Median Earnings (6yr)
$36,696
Median Earnings (10yr)
42.8%
Earning Over $25K
112700.0%
Loan Repayment (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate's 49 $87,212 $14,500
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions Associate's 40 $65,505
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Certificate 52 $57,474
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs Associate's $48,709
Business Administration, Management and Operations Associate's 0 $47,550 $12,100
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Associate's 191 $47,062 $13,949
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants Certificate 88 $42,205 $8,750
Criminal Justice and Corrections Associate's 1 $39,190
Psychology, General Associate's $32,438

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admissions statistics for Prairie State College?
Prairie State College is a public institution in Chicago Heights, Illinois. Total enrollment is 2,443 students.
How much do Prairie State College graduates earn?
Graduates of Prairie State College earn a median of $36,696 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $30,388.
How much does Prairie State College cost?
The average net price at Prairie State College is $4,738. In-state tuition is $4,176 and out-of-state tuition is $11,064. Median student debt at graduation is $11,000.
Is Prairie State College worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Prairie State College is $11,000, while graduates earn a median of $36,696 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 30% of first-year post-graduation earnings. 112700.0% of borrowers are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $117.

Data Sources

Data as of 2024-25 academic year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Primary: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. Data reflects most recent available year.

Institutional characteristics: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) institutional characteristics file.

Earnings: Median earnings 6 and 10 years after enrollment, from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid data.

Program data: Credential-level earnings from the College Scorecard Field of Study dataset.

All federal data sources used on this page

Earnings data sourced from IRS records via the U.S. Treasury–Department of Education matching used by the College Scorecard.