Heartland Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Normal, Illinois. It enrolls 2,997 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
65/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes64
Value46
Affordability29
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Heartland Community College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Heartland Community College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $12,013 per year. That's below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$12,013
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
21%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
8%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$5,550
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$13,110
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,550
Books & Supplies
$900
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,344
Total Cost of Attendance
$16,727
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$9,593
$30,001 – $48,000
$10,872
$48,001 – $75,000
$12,959
$75,001 – $110,000
$15,469
Over $110,000
$16,073
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,75010%percentile
$2,75025%percentile
$7,826Medianpercentile
$8,73975%percentile
$12,64290%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $5,181
↓ $2,645
No Pell $5,500
↓ $2,326
Dependent students $5,500
↓ $2,326
Independent students $5,500
↓ $2,326
Female students $5,500
↓ $2,326
Male students $5,500
↓ $2,326
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $4,500, less than completers ($7,826), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
26% of full-time students who enrolled at Heartland Community College graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
26%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
72%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Heartland Community College earn a median of $40,768 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$40,768
Earning > $25K
66%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$28,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$35,500
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $7,300, about 21% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Stable ↑
1.9 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 64% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Heartland Community College is home to 2,997 students, a mid-sized community. Some distinctive traits: 40% are first-generation college students, 54% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
2,997
Part-Time
54%
First-Generation
40%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 62.2%1,864
Black 14.4%430
Hispanic 11.7%350
Other 6.8%204
International 2.2%67
Asian 1.8%55
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Heartland Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Midsize SuburbNormal, Illinois
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
23%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Heartland Community College offers
a varied set of programs:
25 distinct programs across
10 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Heartland Community College is 19:1, on the higher side.
Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,938
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$17M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$73,723
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
80 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
39
49%
$84,947
Associate Professors
10
13%
$68,417
Assistant Professors
13
16%
$63,157
Instructors
18
23%
$59,982
Pros & Cons of Heartland Community College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Heartland Community College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Open admissions
Low typical debt at graduation
Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
Class sizes are on the higher side
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Heartland Community College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about Heartland Community College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Heartland Community College.
Is Heartland Community College hard to get into?
Heartland Community College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Heartland Community College?
Heartland Community College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Heartland Community College cost?
The average net price after aid at Heartland Community College is $12,013 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Heartland Community College worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $40,768 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $12,013 per year. That's roughly 3.4x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Heartland Community College known for?
Heartland Community College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Liberal Arts. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Heartland Community College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Heartland Community College are $40,768, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Heartland Community College accredited?
Yes. Heartland Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Heartland Community College?
Heartland Community College enrolls 2,997 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Heartland Community College?
Heartland Community College graduates 26% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Heartland Community College a public or private college?
Heartland Community College is a Public institution.
Where is Heartland Community College located?
Heartland Community College is located in Normal, Illinois.
What programs does Heartland Community College offer?
Heartland Community College offers 25 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Liberal Arts.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Heartland Community College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Heartland Community College is 19:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Illinois
Other colleges in Illinois share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Health Administration
Precision Metal Working
Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
Related Guides
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
