Match #1
McHenry County College
Crystal Lake, IL
Profile closeness87/100
Admit rate—
- 4,691 students
- Public
- Rural: Fringe
- Graduation rate 32%, close to 33%
- Enrollment 4,691 students, close to 5,052
The colleges most similar to Illinois Central College are McHenry County College, City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College, and William Rainey Harper College. Illinois Central College has an average net price of $10,829 a year; 8 of its 10 alternatives cost less, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Illinois Central College. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Illinois Central College
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College
Chicago, IL
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate—
- 4,372 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 29%, close to 33%
- Enrollment 4,372 students, close to 5,052
Match #3
William Rainey Harper College
Palatine, IL
Profile closeness78/100
Admit rate—
- 9,313 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 38%, close to 33%
- Average net price $10,058, close to $10,829
Match #4
Oakton Community College
Des Plaines, IL
Profile closeness77/100
Admit rate—
- 6,072 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 29%, close to 33%
- Enrollment 6,072 students, close to 5,052
Match #5
College of Lake County
Grayslake, IL
Profile closeness75/100
Admit rate—
- 9,420 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 29%, close to 33%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #6
Southwestern Illinois College
Belleville, IL
Profile closeness74/100
Admit rate—
- 5,675 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 29%, close to 33%
- Enrollment 5,675 students, close to 5,052
Match #7
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
Chicago, IL
Profile closeness74/100
Admit rate—
- 4,207 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Enrollment 4,207 students, close to 5,052
- Same control type (public)
Match #8
Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, IL
Profile closeness72/100
Admit rate—
- 5,721 students
- Public
- Rural: Fringe
- Graduation rate 33%, close to 33%
- Enrollment 5,721 students, close to 5,052
Match #9
Rock Valley College
Rockford, IL
Profile closeness72/100
Admit rate—
- 4,359 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Graduation rate 32%, close to 33%
- Enrollment 4,359 students, close to 5,052
Match #10
Heartland Community College
Normal, IL
Profile closeness72/100
Admit rate—
- 2,997 students
- Public
- Suburb: Midsize
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (public)
Questions about Illinois Central College alternatives
What colleges are similar to Illinois Central College?
The closest matches to Illinois Central College are McHenry County College, City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College, William Rainey Harper College, Oakton Community College, and College of Lake County. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Which Illinois Central College alternatives cost less?
8 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Illinois Central College ($10,829 a year), including Waubonsee Community College ($2,551), Rock Valley College ($3,385), and Oakton Community College ($3,948). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
