Top 50 Best Associate Degree Programs in Illinois by ROI

Every Associate Degree program in Illinois ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all majors. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in Illinois

254

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$89,492

Across all Illinois programs

Average Annual Cost

$15,892

Cost of attendance

#	College	Major	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Avg Debt
1	William Rainey Harper College Grad rate: 44.6%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$591,845	$73,991	$12,833	$16,525	Full ROI →
2	Ambria College of Nursing	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$516,480	$70,289	N/A	$36,518	Full ROI →
3	Kishwaukee College Grad rate: 37.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$436,612	$65,281	$14,504	N/A	Full ROI →
4	William Rainey Harper College Grad rate: 44.6%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$425,514	$64,559	$12,833	N/A	Full ROI →
5	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Grad rate: 52.5%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$419,259	$67,071	$29,268	$17,500	Full ROI →
6	Rock Valley College Grad rate: 38.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$409,135	$64,955	$14,351	$15,750	Full ROI →
7	College of Lake County Grad rate: 36.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$402,295	$64,022	$10,969	$12,005	Full ROI →
8	Joliet Junior College Grad rate: 19.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$391,793	$63,822	$9,757	$18,617	Full ROI →
9	Oakton College Grad rate: 29.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$390,452	$63,332	$11,344	$10,000	Full ROI →
10	Triton College Grad rate: 31.9%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$385,601	$63,670	$11,608	$18,209	Full ROI →
11	Kankakee Community College Grad rate: 34.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$370,749	$63,348	$12,209	$23,550	Full ROI →
12	McHenry County College Grad rate: 36.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$361,338	$61,364	$12,971	N/A	Full ROI →
13	William Rainey Harper College Grad rate: 44.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$356,344	$62,113	$12,833	$15,000	Full ROI →
14	Lincoln Land Community College Grad rate: 41.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$355,578	$62,317	$11,600	$20,416	Full ROI →
15	Moraine Valley Community College Grad rate: 33.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$349,842	$61,990	$11,921	$19,345	Full ROI →
16	College of Lake County Grad rate: 36.0%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$349,172	$61,433	$10,969	$13,000	Full ROI →
17	Southwestern Illinois College Grad rate: 32.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$341,257	$61,309	$12,596	$14,615	Full ROI →
18	Parkland College Grad rate: 33.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$339,298	$60,366	$14,011	N/A	Full ROI →
19	Waubonsee Community College Grad rate: 36.9%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$333,163	$61,103	$14,661	$14,500	Full ROI →
20	Elgin Community College Grad rate: 38.9%	Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR).	+$329,526	$59,460	$9,837	N/A	Full ROI →
21	City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Grad rate: 31.2%	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.	+$328,667	$59,815	$9,395	$6,550	Full ROI →
22	Moraine Valley Community College Grad rate: 33.8%	Business Administration, Management and Operations.	+$325,418	$59,463	$11,921	N/A	Full ROI →
23	Prairie State College Grad rate: 17.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$308,789	$60,449	$13,813	$24,122	Full ROI →
24	Morton College Grad rate: 26.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$304,422	$59,228	$12,170	$11,702	Full ROI →
25	Lake Land College Grad rate: 50.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$304,411	$58,827	$10,023	$8,950	Full ROI →
26	Richland Community College Grad rate: 43.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$302,336	$59,000	$11,407	$11,000	Full ROI →
27	John Wood Community College Grad rate: 46.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$288,596	$59,044	$13,346	$18,957	Full ROI →
28	Prairie State College Grad rate: 17.0%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$282,114	$57,487	$13,813	N/A	Full ROI →
29	Northwestern College Grad rate: 35.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$280,784	$61,679	$30,552	$38,290	Full ROI →
30	Rasmussen University-Illinois Grad rate: 40.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$278,351	$60,421	$24,447	$30,500	Full ROI →
31	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Grad rate: 52.5%	Air Transportation.	+$263,854	$59,537	$29,268	$21,000	Full ROI →
32	Elgin Community College Grad rate: 38.9%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$247,655	$56,095	$9,837	$10,793	Full ROI →
33	Lewis and Clark Community College Grad rate: 45.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$245,331	$56,027	$9,167	$12,500	Full ROI →
34	Triton College Grad rate: 31.9%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$241,839	$56,217	$11,608	$14,285	Full ROI →
35	Danville Area Community College Grad rate: 42.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$237,591	$55,687	$10,398	$11,372	Full ROI →
36	Chamberlain University-Illinois Grad rate: 44.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$229,328	$57,101	$36,346	N/A	Full ROI →
37	Highland Community College Grad rate: 47.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$228,261	$55,834	$12,397	$17,500	Full ROI →
38	Illinois Valley Community College Grad rate: 43.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$225,757	$55,266	$11,563	$12,175	Full ROI →
39	Carl Sandburg College Grad rate: 40.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$215,990	$54,516	$10,795	$9,437	Full ROI →
40	Kankakee Community College Grad rate: 34.4%	Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.	+$212,102	$53,826	$12,209	N/A	Full ROI →
41	Rasmussen University-Illinois Grad rate: 40.0%	Computer Engineering.	+$202,638	$56,172	$24,447	$23,635	Full ROI →
42	John A Logan College Grad rate: 36.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$202,443	$54,213	$12,682	$12,187	Full ROI →
43	Sauk Valley Community College Grad rate: 48.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$199,862	$54,389	$14,253	$14,379	Full ROI →
44	Illinois Central College Grad rate: 35.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$196,563	$54,686	$17,251	$16,781	Full ROI →
45	Morton College Grad rate: 26.5%	Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.	+$192,040	$52,819	$12,170	N/A	Full ROI →
46	Kaskaskia College Grad rate: 43.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$191,426	$53,332	$12,038	$8,250	Full ROI →
47	Lewis and Clark Community College Grad rate: 45.2%	Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians.	+$189,606	$52,397	$9,167	N/A	Full ROI →
48	Illinois Central College Grad rate: 35.2%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$179,498	$52,700	$17,251	N/A	Full ROI →
49	Rend Lake College Grad rate: 57.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$169,392	$52,735	$14,638	$11,875	Full ROI →
50	Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$167,080	$51,704	N/A	$20,000	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.