Public Associate Strong 72/100

Morton College

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

Compare This College

Cicero, Illinois

About Morton College

Thinking about Morton 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.

Morton College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Cicero, Illinois. It enrolls 2,640 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
12.9%
Net Price
$5,191
Median Earnings (10yr)
$42,406
Enrollment
2,640
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.

Strong
72/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 38
Value 89
Affordability 67
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Morton 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 $5,191 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
$5,191
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
37%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
1%
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)
$5,502
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$12,414
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,000
Books & Supplies
$2,400
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,200
Total Cost of Attendance
$12,801

Application fee: $10 (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
    $4,006
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $4,347
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $7,763
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $9,356

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.

$1,750
10% percentile
$2,250
25% percentile
$8,000
Median percentile
$8,750
75% percentile
$16,500
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 $5,500 ↓ $2,500
No Pell $5,250 ↓ $2,750
Dependent students $4,500 ↓ $3,500
Independent students $8,000 —
Female students $5,750 ↓ $2,250
Male students $5,250 ↓ $2,750
Pell recipients: 16.1% (1,285 students)No Pell: 15.3% (1,226 students)Dependent students: 13.1% (1,051 students)Independent students: 23.4% (1,869 students)Female students: 16.8% (1,343 students)Male students: 15.3% (1,226 students)Overall Median$8,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,250, less than completers ($8,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

13% of students who start here finish within six years, and 68% 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
13%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
68%
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 $42,406 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)
$42,406
Earning > $25K
68%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$33,000$36,000$38,000$41,000$44,0006 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
$33,100

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.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $11,100, about 25% 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 ~$8.2 of median earnings 10 years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,640 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 67% are the first in their family to go to college, and 58% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
2,640
Part-Time
58%
First-Generation
67%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 80.6% 2,127
White 5.6% 149
Black 2.8% 74
Other 1.0% 27
Asian 0.9% 24
Hispanic: 80.6% (2,127 students)White: 5.6% (149 students)Black: 2.8% (74 students)Other: 1.0% (27 students)Asian: 0.9% (24 students)Total2,640

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large Suburb Cicero, Illinois
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
22% 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.

Morton College offers a varied set of programs: 22 distinct programs across 10 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.

1 Program
4 Programs
6 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program

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
$6,752
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$80,678
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

67 instructional faculty across 1 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
Instructors 67 100% $80,678

Pros & Cons of Morton College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Morton 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
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
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
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Morton 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 Morton College

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

Is Morton College hard to get into?
Not especially. Morton 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 Morton 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 Morton College cost?
Budget around $5,191 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 Morton College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $42,406 a year against a net price of $5,191, about 8.2 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 Morton College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences, 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 Morton College graduates earn?
About $42,406 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 Morton College accredited?
Yes. Morton College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Morton College?
2,640 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Morton College?
13% 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 Morton College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Morton College located?
Morton College is located in Cicero, Illinois.
What programs does Morton College offer?
22 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences, 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 Morton College?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.