Public Associate Good 69/100

Black Hawk College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Moline, Illinois

About Black Hawk College

Thinking about Black Hawk College, a college in Illinois where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Black Hawk College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Moline, Illinois. It enrolls 2,354 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
19%
Net Price
$6,944
Median Earnings (10yr)
$37,253
Enrollment
2,354
Student : Faculty
17:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
69/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 50
Value 71
Affordability 49
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Black Hawk College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $6,944 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$6,944
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
27%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
6%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,920
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$8,100
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,796
Books & Supplies
$1,008
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,781
Total Cost of Attendance
$12,291

Application fee: $20 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $4,369
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $5,450
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $7,220
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $10,496
  • Over $110,000
    $12,253

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$1,312
10% percentile
$2,175
25% percentile
$8,375
Median percentile
$7,336
75% percentile
$11,500
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $4,594 ↓ $3,781
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $2,875
Dependent students $5,250 ↓ $3,125
Independent students $5,677 ↓ $2,698
Female students $5,225 ↓ $3,150
Male students $5,500 ↓ $2,875
Pell recipients: 14.5% (1,212 students)No Pell: 17.3% (1,451 students)Dependent students: 16.5% (1,385 students)Independent students: 17.9% (1,498 students)Female students: 16.5% (1,378 students)Male students: 17.3% (1,451 students)Overall Median$8,375
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $4,390, less than completers ($8,375), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

19% of students who start here finish within six years, and 70% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
19%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
70%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $37,253 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$37,253
Earning > $25K
62%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$33,500$34,500$35,500$36,500$37,5006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$29,100

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$39,100

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$30,600

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$35,000

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$37,000

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $10,000, about 26% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
What this means: Strong return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$5.4 of median earnings 10 years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,354 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 44% are the first in their family to go to college, and 45% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
2,354
Part-Time
45%
First-Generation
44%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 56.8% 1,337
Hispanic 17.3% 408
Black 13.1% 308
Other 4.5% 106
Asian 2.5% 59
International 2.0% 46
White: 56.8% (1,337 students)Hispanic: 17.3% (408 students)Black: 13.1% (308 students)Other: 4.5% (106 students)Asian: 2.5% (59 students)International: 2.0% (46 students)Total2,354

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Black Hawk College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Small City Moline, Illinois
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
24% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Black Hawk College offers a varied set of programs: 36 distinct programs across 12 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

2 Programs
9 Programs
5 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,000
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$10M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$66,818
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

93 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 47 51% $76,227
Associate Professors 9 10% $64,297
Assistant Professors 11 12% $57,424
Instructors 26 28% $54,656

Pros & Cons of Black Hawk College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Black Hawk College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Open admissions
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for: Based on the data, Black Hawk College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Black Hawk College

The questions families ask most about Black Hawk College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Black Hawk College hard to get into?
Not especially. Black Hawk College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Black Hawk College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Black Hawk College cost?
Budget around $6,944 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Black Hawk College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $37,253 a year against a net price of $6,944, about 5.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Black Hawk College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Black Hawk College graduates earn?
About $37,253 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Black Hawk College accredited?
Yes. Black Hawk College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Black Hawk College?
2,354 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Black Hawk College?
19% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Black Hawk College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Black Hawk College located?
Black Hawk College is located in Moline, Illinois.
What programs does Black Hawk College offer?
36 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Black Hawk College?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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