Transfer from
Glen Ellyn into a four-year Illinois degree
You're deciding whether to spend your first two years at College of DuPage before finishing a bachelor's at a four-year school. That choice involves real numbers: a 41% transfer-out rate, median earnings nearly a decade out, and what this suburban Illinois CC actually costs you net of aid.
26,000 undergrads, 41% transfer out by year 8, median $47k 10-yr earnings, $10,410 median debt.
A large suburban Illinois CC with one of the strongest transfer-out rates in the state
College of DuPage enrolls 26,224 undergrads in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with 72% attending part-time. Its eight-year transfer-out rate of 41% is well above the national community college average — a concrete signal that students here reach the four-year step at a high clip. Median earnings land at $47k ten years out, and median debt is $10,410. Liberal Arts leads completions at 626, followed by Nursing Assistant at 307, EMT Paramedic at 246, and Biological and Physical Sciences at 232. In-district tuition is $3,420, and net price is $7,401. The three-year loan default rate is 0%.
College of DuPage sits in Glen Ellyn, Illinois — a western Chicago suburb — and enrolls 26,224 undergraduates, making it one of the larger community colleges in the state. Seventy-two percent attend part-time, which shapes the timeline for most students here. The college's top program by completions is Liberal Arts and Sciences at 626, a volume large enough that the advising and course infrastructure around transfer-prep is well-established. Nursing Assistant (307 completions) and EMT Paramedic (246) show a strong allied-health track alongside the academic transfer path. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 41% — meaningfully above the 15–25% range typical of community colleges nationally — and median earnings ten years out are $47k. In-district tuition runs $3,420, with a net price of $7,401. Median debt among borrowers is $10,410, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. For an Illinois student with a clear transfer target and access to in-district pricing, College of DuPage's numbers make a compelling case.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 626 |
| Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide. | 307 |
| Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic). | 246 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences. | 232 |
| Computer Programming, Specific Applications. | 208 |
| General Studies. | 103 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications. | 102 |
| Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping. | 88 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 86 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 79 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where Illinois transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is College of DuPage a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data is encouraging. College of DuPage's eight-year transfer-out rate is 41%, which is well above the national community college average of 15–25%. That figure is especially notable given that 72% of students attend part-time, which naturally extends timelines. In-district tuition is $3,420 and net price is $7,401, so cost exposure here is manageable for suburban Chicago students who qualify for the in-district rate. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $47k, median borrower debt is $10,410, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. That profile — functional transfer rate, moderate net price, and clean debt outcomes — supports College of DuPage as a reasonable foundation for a bachelor's, provided you arrive with a transfer plan and a target four-year school in mind.
- How does College of DuPage's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- College of DuPage's eight-year transfer-out rate is 41%. National benchmarks for community college transfer consistently fall in the 15–25% range, which means COD's rate is significantly higher than average. The 72% part-time enrollment share matters here: most students attend part-time, which extends completion timelines, yet 41% still reach and complete the transfer step within eight years. An additional 0.9% were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 25% had completed a credential at COD itself. That combination suggests the college functions as an active pipeline into the four-year system — not a spot where transfer intentions stall out. For a suburban Illinois commuter school, this is a strong result.
- What programs does College of DuPage offer at meaningful scale?
- COD's top programs by completions are Liberal Arts and Sciences (626), Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant (307), Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (246), Biological and Physical Sciences (232), and Computer Programming, Specific Applications (208). General Studies added 103 completions, Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications 102, Accounting Technology 88, Registered Nursing 86, and Business Administration and Management 79. The breadth is notable: a student aiming at a STEM transfer path, a health-related career, or a business degree will find COD has meaningful volume — and the advising and course infrastructure that goes with it — in each of those areas.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.