Illinois
Student Access & Success
Illinois’ four-year institutions rank in the top 10 in credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates and completion rate. Illinois’ two-year institutions are slightly above the national median in retention rate but below in credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates, completion rate, and the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Illinois’ four-year institutions receive an above average mark with cost per completion of $59,325. Illinois’ two-year institutions, however, receive an average grade, with state and local funding per completion ($38,495) slightly above the national median of $35,476.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of an Illinois bachelor’s degree holder is $22,000 (or 67%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is $9,000 (or 27%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 4 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Overall, Illinois gets low marks in this area. The state receives an average score for its consumer information and public accountability resources but does not measure student learning or track student labor market outcomes at the four-year level. The Illinois Community College Board does have a series of reports on the percentage of system graduates who are employed, along with their job retention rate.
Policy Environment
Illinois’ strategic plan compares the state’s current status with other states and has a goal for student learning outcomes. The state is also moving forward on outcomes- based funding via a recently passed law; however, the funding system won’t go into effect until 2013. The Illinois Articulation Initiative permits students to transfer a package of general education classes and search for individual courses.
Innovation
The Illinois Virtual Campus portal includes individual classes and degree programs at public and private colleges across the state, though it lacks clarity about the transferability of online credits. Regarding new providers, Illinois has a highly restrictive regulatory environment, resulting in a very low grade.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
IL Nat'l| Student Access & Success | A |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 30.9 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 80.4 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 60.5 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 24.1 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
| Complete College America | * |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | B |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $59,325 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $30,328 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $60,311 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 4 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $22,000 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 166.7 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $18,393 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 167.3 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 5.1 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.0 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 7.7 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
IL Nat'l| Student Access & Success | D |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 40.6 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 59.6 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 19.9 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 14.2 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $46,480 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $38,495 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $51,338 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $9,000 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 127.3 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $8,103 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 129.6 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.8 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 5.8 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.86 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
IL Nat'l| Policy Environment | B |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | F |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 48% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 50% | |
| Financial Burden | 53% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 40% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | C |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 57.1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 4 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 12
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 48
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 141085
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 272956