Strong transfer numbers
from Joliet, Illinois
You're deciding whether to spend your first two years at Joliet Junior College before finishing a bachelor's degree elsewhere in Illinois. That means weighing a real 40% transfer-out rate, a $1,672 net price, and the range of programs available against what comes next.
14,400 undergrads, 40% transfer out by year 8, median $43k 10-yr earnings, $9,711 median debt.
Joliet's 40% transfer-out rate makes it a genuine Illinois feeder
Joliet Junior College enrolls 14,400 undergrads southwest of Chicago, with 72% attending part-time. Forty percent transfer to a four-year institution within eight years — a strong signal for a CC this size. Median earnings reach $42,889 ten years out, median debt is $9,711, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. Liberal Arts leads completions at 509, with Auto Mechanics, Computer Networking, and Nursing programs each producing 100-plus graduates annually. In-district tuition is $3,480 and net price drops to $1,672, making the cost case hard to argue with.
Joliet Junior College is a mid-size community college in Joliet, Illinois, about 35 miles southwest of Chicago. It enrolls 14,414 undergraduates, with 72% attending part-time — a profile typical of working adults and students easing into college alongside jobs or family. Liberal Arts and Sciences leads the institution by completions at 509, and the college teaches Automotive Mechanics Technology, Computer Networking, Nursing Assistant programs, and Business Administration at meaningful volume. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 40%, well above the national community college average, and that figure holds up even with a majority part-time enrollment that extends timelines. Median earnings ten years out are $42,889, median debt is $9,711, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. Net price averages $1,672 — one of the lowest entry points you'll find in Illinois. For a cost-conscious student with clear transfer intentions, Joliet Junior College produces real outcomes.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 509 |
| Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. | 186 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications. | 181 |
| Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide. | 165 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 130 |
| Industrial Electronics Technology/Technician. | 125 |
| Orthotist/Prosthetist. | 122 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences. | 118 |
| General Studies. | 112 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 112 |
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 Joliet Junior College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data makes a solid case. Forty percent of JJC students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years, which is above the national community college average and meaningful given that 72% of undergrads attend part-time. Net price averages $1,672, and in-district tuition is $3,480, so accumulating serious debt here is unlikely — median borrower debt is $9,711. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $42,889, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. That combination of low cost, strong transfer rate, and clean debt and default figures makes JJC a functional starting point toward a bachelor's — provided you enter with a clear transfer plan and use the full eight years if needed.
- How does Joliet Junior College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- JJC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 40%. National research consistently places the average community college transfer rate in the 15–25% range, so JJC sits well above that benchmark. The 40% figure is notable because 72% of JJC students attend part-time, which typically suppresses transfer rates by extending time-to-completion and increasing stop-out risk. That the rate holds this high despite a majority part-time enrollment suggests students who intend to transfer are following through. An additional 0.9% were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 23% had completed a credential at JJC itself. Taken together, these numbers indicate JJC is functioning as an active feeder into the four-year system.
- What programs does Joliet Junior College offer at meaningful scale?
- JJC's highest-volume programs by completions are Liberal Arts and Sciences (509), Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology (186), Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (181), Nursing Assistant/Aide (165), and Business Administration and Management (130). Industrial Electronics Technology produced 125 completions, Orthotist/Prosthetist 122, Biological and Physical Sciences 118, General Studies 112, and Registered Nursing 112. The breadth spans transfer-prep tracks — Liberal Arts, Sciences, Business — alongside direct-employment programs in automotive, healthcare, and industrial technology. Whether you're aiming at a four-year transfer or a workforce credential, JJC has enough completions in these areas that courses, advising, and infrastructure are genuinely developed.
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.