SWIC vs. Rend Lake College

Comparable Facts

Compare Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, IL with Rend Lake College in Ina, IL on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Southwestern Illinois College is larger than Rend Lake College based on total student enrollment (8,492 students vs. 2,015 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Southwestern Illinois College is located in Belleville, IL (Rural Fringe setting); Rend Lake College is in Ina, IL (Distant Rural setting).
• Southwestern Illinois College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Rend Lake College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Southwestern Illinois College 17:1; Rend Lake College 19:1.

SWIC vs. Rend Lake College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SWIC or Rend Lake College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwestern Illinois College than Rend Lake College ($10,147 vs. $11,427).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rend Lake College are 1.9% lower than at Southwestern Illinois College ($11,678 vs. $11,910).
• Rend Lake College is 0.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than SWIC (about $60 more per year; $7,800.00 vs. $7,740.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 16.1% higher at Rend Lake College than at Southwestern Illinois College (about $1,080 more per year; $7,800.00 vs. $6,720.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Rend Lake College than at Southwestern Illinois College (78% vs. 55%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Rend Lake College students is 2.9% larger than aid received by Southwestern Illinois College students ($6,250 vs. $6,073).

SWIC vs. Rend Lake College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SWIC or Rend Lake College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Rend Lake College and SWIC.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SWIC - Open admission; Rend Lake College - Open admission.

SWIC vs. Rend Lake College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SWIC and Rend Lake College? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from Southwestern Illinois College earn a median of about $200 more per year than Rend Lake College graduates about ten years after starting college ($30,100 vs. $29,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Rend Lake College graduates have a $3,475 lower median loan debt than SWIC graduates ($3,500 vs. $6,975).
• Among borrowers, Rend Lake College graduates have an estimated $36 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than SWIC graduates ($36 vs. $72).
• More Rend Lake College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SWIC students, three years after graduation. (40% vs. 34%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.