Sauk Valley Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Dixon, Illinois. It enrolls 1,158 students (a small, tight-knit 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.
Strong
72/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes63
Value64
Affordability52
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Sauk Valley 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 Sauk Valley 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 $8,493 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$8,493
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
33%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
7%
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)
$5,340
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$12,900
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,798
Books & Supplies
$1,470
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,644
Total Cost of Attendance
$15,273
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
$5,027
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,182
$48,001 – $75,000
$8,884
$75,001 – $110,000
$12,524
Over $110,000
$14,155
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.
$1,50010%percentile
$2,30125%percentile
$8,250Medianpercentile
$6,91475%percentile
$10,68790%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 $5,500
↓ $2,750
No Pell $5,460
↓ $2,790
Dependent students $5,231
↓ $3,019
Independent students $6,000
↓ $2,250
Female students $5,994
↓ $2,256
Male students $4,094
↓ $4,156
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $4,500, less than completers ($8,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
34% of full-time students who enrolled at Sauk Valley Community College graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
34%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
73%
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 Sauk Valley Community College earn a median of $40,458 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$40,458
Earning > $25K
67%
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
$30,900
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$43,800
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$30,700
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$39,200
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$44,600
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,900, about 29% 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.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
14.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 80% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Sauk Valley Community College is home to 1,158 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 48% are first-generation college students, 46% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
1,158
Part-Time
46%
First-Generation
48%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 73.1%847
Hispanic 18.4%213
Other 3.5%40
Black 2.9%33
Asian 1.0%11
International 0.4%4
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Sauk Valley Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Rural: FringeDixon, Illinois
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
21%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Sauk Valley Community College offers
a varied set of programs:
22 distinct programs across
14 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 Sauk Valley Community College is 14:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,554
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$8.2M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$66,278
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
47 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
17
36%
$72,115
Associate Professors
11
23%
$67,749
Assistant Professors
15
32%
$59,760
Instructors
4
9%
$61,867
Pros & Cons of Sauk Valley Community College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Sauk Valley Community College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Open admissions
Reasonable class sizes
Tight-knit, close community feel
Low typical debt at graduation
First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for:
Based on the data, Sauk Valley Community College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sauk Valley Community College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Sauk Valley Community College.
Is Sauk Valley Community College hard to get into?
Sauk Valley Community College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Sauk Valley Community College?
Sauk Valley Community College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Sauk Valley Community College cost?
The average net price after aid at Sauk Valley Community College is $8,493 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Sauk Valley Community College worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $40,458 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $8,493 per year. That's roughly 4.8x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Sauk Valley Community College known for?
Sauk Valley Community College is best known for its programs in Practical Nursing, Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Sauk Valley Community College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Sauk Valley Community College are $40,458, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Sauk Valley Community College accredited?
Yes. Sauk Valley Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Sauk Valley Community College?
Sauk Valley Community College enrolls 1,158 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Sauk Valley Community College?
Sauk Valley Community College graduates 34% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Sauk Valley Community College a public or private college?
Sauk Valley Community College is a Public institution.
Where is Sauk Valley Community College located?
Sauk Valley Community College is located in Dixon, Illinois.
What programs does Sauk Valley Community College offer?
Sauk Valley Community College offers 22 distinct programs. The most popular include Practical Nursing, Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Sauk Valley Community College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Sauk Valley Community College is 14:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
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Rankings That Feature Sauk Valley Community College
Sauk Valley Community College appears in these rankings, built from the same federal data and the UCD Score.
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89 UCD Score
78 Colleges
$2,232 Lowest Net
$81,054 Top Earn
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91 UCD Score
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$2,232 Lowest Net
$91,885 Top Earn
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83 UCD Score
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$2,232 Lowest Net
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