Generations College is a private nonprofit institution offering associate degrees based in Chicago, Illinois. It enrolls 310 students (a very small, intimate 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.
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.
Fair
46/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes1
Value25
Affordability59
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Generations 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 $18,894 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$12,700
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,410
Books & Supplies
$1,050
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,500
Total Cost of Attendance
$25,660
Application fee: $20 (one-time, due at submission)
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.
$4,75010%percentile
$9,50025%percentile
$25,250Medianpercentile
$28,07675%percentile
$39,32190%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 $19,000
↓ $6,250
No Pell $9,500
↓ $15,750
Dependent students $14,855
↓ $10,395
Independent students $19,000
↓ $6,250
Female students $19,000
↓ $6,250
Male students $19,000
↓ $6,250
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $14,250, less than completers ($25,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
28% of students who start here finish within six years, and 19% 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
28%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
19%
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 $34,706 a year, below the national median. Weigh that against the cost above before taking on debt here. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$34,706
Earning > $25K
56%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
7.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Concerning. Only 34% of graduates are actively reducing principal even seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 310 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 56% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
310
Part-Time
10%
First-Generation
56%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 60.0%186
White 23.6%73
Hispanic 13.9%43
Other 2.3%7
Asian 0.3%1
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Generations College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Generations College offers
a focused set of programs:
3 distinct programs across
3 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.
There are 28 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.
Student : Faculty
28:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$3.6M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$40,928
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
4 instructional faculty across 2 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
Associate Professors
1
25%
$43,391
Assistant Professors
3
75%
$40,106
Pros & Cons of Generations College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Generations College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Below-average post-graduation earnings
Best for:
Based on the data, Generations College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Generations College
The questions families ask most about Generations College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Generations College hard to get into?
Not especially. Generations 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 Generations 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 Generations College cost?
Budget around $18,894 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 Generations College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $34,706 a year against a net price of $18,894, about 1.8 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 Generations College known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Legal Support. 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 Generations College graduates earn?
About $34,706 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 Generations College accredited?
Yes. Generations College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Generations College?
310 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Generations College?
28% 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 Generations College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Generations College located?
Generations College is located in Chicago, Illinois.
What programs does Generations College offer?
3 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Legal Support. 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 Generations College?
28 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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