Joliet Junior College vs. Prairie State College

Should I go to Joliet Junior College or Prairie State College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Joliet Junior College or Prairie State College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Joliet Junior College vs. Prairie State College comparison
Joliet Junior College Prairie State College College 3 College 4
Joliet Junior College
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Overview

Joliet Junior College Prairie State College
Location Joliet, IL Chicago Heights, IL
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 10,212 2,680
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website jjc.edu prairiestate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Joliet Junior College Prairie State College
Tuition (In State) $3,480 $3,444
Tuition (Out of State) $12,750 $10,332
Room & Board $9,332 $7,516
Avg Net Price $4,440 $6,887
Avg Grant Aid $4,708 $6,839
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 98%

Admission

Joliet Junior College Prairie State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Aug 16, 2025

Academics

Joliet Junior College Prairie State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (41%)
  • Health Professions (24%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (6%)
  • General Studies (3%)
  • Health Professions (53%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (6%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • General Studies (4%)

Outcomes

Joliet Junior College Prairie State College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $34,100 $33,000
Making Student Loan Payments 36% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,000 $10,232
Median Loan Payment $82 $105

Diversity

Joliet Junior College Prairie State College
% Men 44% 39%
% Women 56% 61%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 21%
% Black 10% 58%
% Hispanic 23% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

Joliet Junior College Prairie State College
% In-State 98% 92%
% Out-of-State 1% 5%

Campus

Joliet Junior College Prairie State College
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Joliet Junior College is larger than than Prairie State College based on total student enrollment (10,212 students vs. 2,680 students)

Joliet Junior College vs. Prairie State College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Joliet Junior College or Prairie State College?

  • Joliet Junior College is 35.9% more expensive to attend than Prairie State College for in-state tuition ($11,700.00 vs. $8,610.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 23.4% higher at Joliet Junior College than Prairie State College ($12,750.00 vs. $10,332.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Joliet Junior College than Prairie State College ($4,440 vs. $6,887)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Prairie State College are 24.2% lower than costs at Joliet Junior College ($7,516 vs. $9,332)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Prairie State College than Joliet Junior College (98% vs. 73%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Prairie State College students is 45.3% larger than aid received Joliet Junior College ($6,839 vs. $4,708)

Which college is harder to get into, Joliet Junior College or Prairie State College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Prairie State College or Joliet Junior College .

Joliet Junior College vs. Prairie State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Joliet Junior College or Prairie State College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Prairie State College and Joliet Junior College.

  • Graduates from Joliet Junior College earn on average $1,100 more per year than Prairie State College graduates after ten years. ($34,100 vs. $33,000)
  • Joliet Junior College students graduate with a $2,232 lower median federal student loan debt than Prairie State College graduates. ($8,000 vs. $10,232)
  • Joliet Junior College graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than Prairie State College graduates. ($82 vs. $105)
  • More Joliet Junior College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Prairie State College students, three years after graduation. (36% vs. 28%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/