Rock Valley College
About
Rock Valley College (RVC) is a public community college in Rockford, Illinois. It was founded in 1964 and is part of the Illinois Community College System. RVC's district comprises Winnebago County, Boone County, and parts of Stephenson County, Ogle County, McHenry County, and DeKalb County. Since opening for classes in 1965, RVC has grown to an institution of 140 faculty members, 500 part-time lecturers, and more than 7700 students.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.1-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 55 Title IV programs, 5 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 50 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing5 · 9.1%
- No Data50 · 90.9%
- 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 · 1
Action history · 5
- Jan 2025Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
- Apr 2021Grant Substantive Change: ProgramAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
- Feb 2021Grant Substantive Change: ProgramAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
- Jul 2020Grant Substantive Change: ProgramAmerican Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
- Feb 2018Renewal of AccreditationAmerican 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, 2,130 students received $9.9M in Pell grants, alongside $1.1M 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 280 borrowers who entered repayment, 12 (4.2%) defaulted within three years — above 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 Rock Valley College
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 · 7
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
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- National origin1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Data quality: 1 report was 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.
Rock Valley College vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Rock Valley College 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectRock Valley College | 37% | — | 5,978 | $5,242 | Community College |
| — | — | 4,001 | $6,944 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,121 | $7,397 | Community College | |
| — | — | 3,274 | $9,494 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,303 | $7,220 | Community College | |
| — | — | 3,137 | $9,038 | Community College | |
| — | — | 10,251 | $6,026 | Community College | |
| — | — | 4,855 | $12,013 | Community College | |
| — | — | 1,360 | $5,713 | Community College | |
| — | — | 7,906 | $12,961 | Community College | |
| — | — | 3,224 | $5,541 | Community College | |
| — | — | 2,969 | $4,574 | Community College | |
| — | — | 3,960 | $2,254 | Community College | |
| — | — | 4,606 | $3,349 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,677 | $4,299 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,399 | $7,042 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,014 | $8,048 | Community College | |
| — | — | 2,953 | $4,738 | Community College | |
| — | — | 2,388 | $3,741 | Community College | |
| — | — | 1,467 | $8,493 | Community College | |
| — | — | 3,818 | $3,242 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,305 | $11,442 | Community College | |
| Peer group median | 37% | — | 4,304 | $6,485 |
Institutions like Rock Valley College
Explore the federal data for institutions in Rock Valley College's comparison group.
- Community CollegeIllinois
Black Hawk College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment4,001Net price$6,944View data - Community CollegeIllinois
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,121Net price$7,397View data - Community CollegeIllinois
City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment3,274Net price$9,494View data - Community CollegeIllinois
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,303Net price$7,220View data - Community CollegeIllinois
City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment3,137Net price$9,038View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Elgin Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment10,251Net price$6,026View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Heartland Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment4,855Net price$12,013View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Highland Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment1,360Net price$5,713View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Illinois Central College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment7,906Net price$12,961View data - Community CollegeIllinois
John A Logan College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment3,224Net price$5,541View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Kishwaukee College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment2,969Net price$4,574View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Lake Land College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment3,960Net price$2,254View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Lewis and Clark Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment4,606Net price$3,349View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Lincoln Land Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,677Net price$4,299View data - Community CollegeIllinois
McHenry County College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,399Net price$7,042View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Parkland College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,014Net price$8,048View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Prairie State College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment2,953Net price$4,738View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Richland Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment2,388Net price$3,741View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Sauk Valley Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment1,467Net price$8,493View data - Community CollegeIllinois
South Suburban College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment3,818Net price$3,242View data - Community CollegeIllinois
Waubonsee Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,305Net price$11,442View data
Rock Valley College Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Institutional Research & Effectiveness supports planning and decision-making efforts of the Rock Valley College community by providing data and information for managing and maintaining the quality and effectiveness of programs, services, and initiatives.
Visit IR office pageCommon Data Set
Rock Valley College's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $6,196 (2023-2024).
Academic Experience
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Source publications
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 planRock Valley College Strategic Plan2022Rock Valley College's Strategic Plan for 2022-2027 aims to enhance access, education, training, and cultural excellence. It focuses on improving access to educational programs, ensuring high-quality academic offerings, and fostering an inclusive campus culture. The plan includes specific goals such as increasing scholarships, closing equity gaps, and providing professional development aligned with the region's needs.rockvalleycollege.edu
Frequently asked questions about Rock Valley College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Rock Valley College.
What is the graduation rate at Rock Valley College?
How many students attend Rock Valley College?
What is the average net price at Rock Valley College?
Where is Rock Valley College located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Rock Valley College?
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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