Joliet Junior College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Joliet, Illinois. It enrolls 9,306 students (a large 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.
Good
69/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes24
Value99
Affordability59
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Joliet Junior 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 $1,672 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.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,530
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$13,800
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,970
Books & Supplies
$1,380
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,500
Total Cost of Attendance
$9,452
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
$890
$30,001 – $48,000
$220
$48,001 – $75,000
$2,824
$75,001 – $110,000
$3,835
Over $110,000
$4,556
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.
$1,43010%percentile
$2,50025%percentile
$9,711Medianpercentile
$8,86075%percentile
$14,42090%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 $5,500
↓ $4,211
No Pell $5,500
↓ $4,211
Dependent students $5,484
↓ $4,227
Independent students $8,145
↓ $1,566
Female students $5,700
↓ $4,011
Male students $5,500
↓ $4,211
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,404, less than completers ($9,711), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
11% of students who start here finish within six years, and 65% 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
11%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
65%
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 $42,889 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)
$42,889
Earning > $25K
68%
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.
By Gender
Female graduates
$31,800
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$44,200
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$31,700
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$39,300
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$44,600
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,400, about 28% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
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 ↑
22.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 75% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 9,306 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 47% are the first in their family to go to college, and 58% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.
Total Enrolled
9,306
Part-Time
58%
First-Generation
47%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 47.2%4,395
Hispanic 31.9%2,965
Black 10.8%1,006
Asian 3.1%291
Other 3.0%275
International 0.1%7
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Joliet Junior College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Joliet Junior College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
66 distinct programs across
18 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 15 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$9,103
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$28M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$112,057
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
206 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
142
69%
$124,161
Associate Professors
28
14%
$91,948
Assistant Professors
31
15%
$79,195
No Rank
5
2%
$84,639
Pros & Cons of Joliet Junior College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Joliet Junior 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
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, Joliet Junior 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 Joliet Junior College
The questions families ask most about Joliet Junior College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Joliet Junior College hard to get into?
Not especially. Joliet Junior 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 Joliet Junior 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 Joliet Junior College cost?
Budget around $1,672 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 Joliet Junior College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $42,889 a year against a net price of $1,672, about 25.7 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 Joliet Junior College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Biological and Physical Sciences. 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 Joliet Junior College graduates earn?
About $42,889 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 Joliet Junior College accredited?
Yes. Joliet Junior College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Joliet Junior College?
9,306 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Joliet Junior College?
11% 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 Joliet Junior College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Joliet Junior College located?
Joliet Junior College is located in Joliet, Illinois.
What programs does Joliet Junior College offer?
66 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Biological and Physical Sciences. 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 Joliet Junior College?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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