College of Lake County
About
The College of Lake County, commonly referred to as CLC, is a public community college in Lake County, Illinois. CLC's primary campus is located in Grayslake and two other campuses exist in nearby Waukegan and Vernon Hills. It is located in the greater Chicago metro area and sits about 46 miles north of the city. In 1967, a referendum passed establishing the CLC community college district and classes began in 1969. It enrolls about 15,000 students in transfer programs, career programs, GED and adult basic education, non-credit and career development, and training for businesses.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 5.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 81 Title IV programs, 7 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 74 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing7 · 8.6%
- No Data74 · 91.4%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 3
Action history · 8
- Aug 2024Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
- Jan 2023Renewal of AccreditationJoint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
- Apr 2021Grant Substantive Change: ProgramAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
- Sep 2020Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation RemovedAccreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
- Jul 2020Grant Substantive Change: ProgramAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 4,263 students received $18.0M in Pell grants, alongside $1.9M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 395 borrowers who entered repayment, 6 (1.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at College of Lake County
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 9
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus2
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Ethnicity3
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Data quality: 3 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
College of Lake County vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions College of Lake County selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCollege of Lake County | 37% | — | 12,530 | $7,607 | Community College |
| — | — | 26,224 | $7,401 | Community College | |
| — | — | 10,251 | $6,026 | Community College | |
| — | — | 14,414 | $1,672 | Community College | |
| — | — | 11,296 | $2,829 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,329 | $5,183 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,842 | $4,138 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,305 | $11,442 | Community College | |
| — | — | 13,988 | $11,607 | Community College | |
| Peer group median | 37% | — | 11,296 | $6,026 |
Institutions like College of Lake County
Explore the federal data for institutions in College of Lake County's comparison group.
- Community CollegeIllinois
College of DuPage
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment26,224Net price$7,401View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Elgin Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment10,251Net price$6,026View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Joliet Junior College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment14,414Net price$1,672View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Moraine Valley Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment11,296Net price$2,829View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Oakton College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,329Net price$5,183View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Triton College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,842Net price$4,138View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Waubonsee Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,305Net price$11,442View data - Community CollegeIllinois
William Rainey Harper College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment13,988Net price$11,607View data
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planCLC 2030 Strategic Plan2026The College of Lake County, recognized as a Leader College of Distinction, focuses on improving student access and success through proactive enrollment efforts and transformational change. As a comprehensive community college, CLC commits to equitable high-quality education and innovative workforce solutions to serve its diverse communities. The strategic plan aims to maintain progress in increasing enrollment and graduation rates while supporting diverse and inclusive educational opportunities.clcillinois.edu
Frequently asked questions about College of Lake County
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about College of Lake County.
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About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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