Public Associate Strong 72/100

Rock Valley College

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

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Rockford, Illinois

About Rock Valley College

Thinking about Rock Valley 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.

Rock Valley College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Rockford, Illinois. It enrolls 4,359 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
19.8%
Net Price
$5,242
Median Earnings (10yr)
$39,158
Enrollment
4,359
Student : Faculty
18:1

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 43
Value 86
Affordability 57
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Rock Valley 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 $5,242 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
$5,242
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
28%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
4%
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)
$4,334
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$7,379
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,808
Books & Supplies
$1,600
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,375
Total Cost of Attendance
$11,920

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
    $3,409
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $4,228
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $6,756
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $8,615
  • Over $110,000
    $11,568

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.

$1,089
10% percentile
$1,765
25% percentile
$8,500
Median percentile
$6,750
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 $5,620 ↓ $2,880
No Pell $5,490 ↓ $3,010
Dependent students $5,000 ↓ $3,500
Independent students $7,406 ↓ $1,094
Female students $5,500 ↓ $3,000
Male students $5,500 ↓ $3,000
Pell recipients: 16.3% (1,384 students)No Pell: 15.9% (1,352 students)Dependent students: 14.5% (1,231 students)Independent students: 21.5% (1,824 students)Female students: 15.9% (1,354 students)Male students: 15.9% (1,354 students)Overall Median$8,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $4,750, less than completers ($8,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

20% of students who start here finish within six years, and 67% 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
20%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
67%
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 $39,158 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)
$39,158
Earning > $25K
65%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$34,000$36,000$37,000$38,000$40,0006 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
$30,800

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

Male graduates
$40,300

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$30,700

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

Family income (middle third)
$38,200

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

Family income (highest third)
$38,200

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $9,500, about 24% 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 ↑ 12.3 pts across 6 years
61.9%1yr70%3yr66.2%5yr74.2%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 74% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 4,359 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 50% are the first in their family to go to college, and 55% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
4,359
Part-Time
55%
First-Generation
50%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 51.3% 2,237
Hispanic 28.3% 1,235
Black 9.4% 410
Asian 3.4% 146
Other 3.3% 142
International 0.6% 26
White: 51.3% (2,237 students)Hispanic: 28.3% (1,235 students)Black: 9.4% (410 students)Asian: 3.4% (146 students)Other: 3.3% (142 students)International: 0.6% (26 students)Total4,359

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Midsize City Rockford, Illinois
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
25% 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.

Rock Valley College offers a varied set of programs: 29 distinct programs across 15 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
5 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs
4 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 18 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
18:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,903
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$7.8M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$68,410
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

117 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 41 35% $79,379
Associate Professors 49 42% $64,305
Assistant Professors 18 15% $58,693
Instructors 9 8% $60,232

Pros & Cons of Rock Valley College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Rock Valley 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
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Rock Valley 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 Rock Valley College

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

Is Rock Valley College hard to get into?
Not especially. Rock Valley 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 Rock Valley 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 Rock Valley College cost?
Budget around $5,242 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 Rock Valley College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $39,158 a year against a net price of $5,242, about 7.5 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 Rock Valley 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 Rock Valley College graduates earn?
About $39,158 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 Rock Valley College accredited?
Yes. Rock Valley College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Rock Valley College?
4,359 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Rock Valley College?
20% 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 Rock Valley College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Rock Valley College located?
Rock Valley College is located in Rockford, Illinois.
What programs does Rock Valley College offer?
29 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 Rock Valley College?
18 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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