Highland Community College campus
Highland Community College logo

Highland Community College

Type 2 year, Public
Campus locale Town: Distant
Degrees offered Undergraduate
Calendar system Semester
Student body size Small
Student to faculty ratio 10 to 1
Students retention rate 64%
On-time graduation rate 36%

Located in Freeport, Illinois, Highland Community College is a public, institution that offers undergraduate degrees. The college operates on a semester-based calendar system, providing students with structured academic terms.

One of the notable aspects of Highland Community College is its open admission policy. This means that all high school graduates and individuals who hold a GED qualification are eligible to apply for admission. This inclusive approach allows a wide range of students to pursue their higher education goals, regardless of their academic background.

Highland Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ensuring that the institution meets certain standards of quality and effectiveness. This accreditation also allows students to transfer credits to other accredited institutions if they choose to continue their education elsewhere.

With a students-to-faculty ratio of 10-to-1, Highland Community College emphasizes small class sizes, fostering a supportive and interactive learning environment.

While the on-time graduation rate at Highland Community College is reported to be 36%, it is essential to consider the context of this statistic. For comparison, Illinois state's graduation rate for the 2021-2022 was 48% whereas the national average was 35%.

The student retention rate of 64% at Highland Community College suggests that a significant percentage of students choose to continue their studies at the institution after their first-year.


  • Accredited by: Higher Learning Commission

In-State Tuition & Fees

$6,846

Cost of attendance at Highland Community College in 2022 for students from Illinois.

See how the college's in-state sticker price compares to 2 year , public colleges in the state as well as nationally.

Illinois's average $13,029
National average $4,604

Out-of-State Tuition & Fees

$6,846

Cost of attendance at Highland Community College in 2022 for the out-of-state and international students

See how the college's out-of-state sticker price compares to 2 year , public colleges in the state as well as nationally.

Illinois's average $19,104
National average $8,757

Average Grant & Scholarships

In 2022, 92 of freshman students at Highland Community College received on average $5,281 in grant and scholarships from the college, the state and/or the federal government. Below is detail stats of the aid provided to full-time, freshman students.

$5,281
Students Receiving Aid Average Amount Total Amount
Pell Grant 111 56% $4,653 $516,505
Other Federal Grant 173 87% $3,827 $662,008
State Grant/Scholarships 80 40% $1,435 $114,837
Institutional Grant/Scholarships 82 41% $2,313 $189,640
Total Grant & Scholarships 183 92% $5,281 $966,485

Graduation Rate

The following chart shows the graduation rate of Highland Community College students who enrolled in 2018 and after. The stat covers all undergraduates registered as full-time students to study a 4-year bachelor's degree program for the first time.

The breakdown shows the graduation rate by race/ethnicity of US students. All international students are represented under one group.

As of August 31, 2021, the average graduation rate of Highland Community College students is 36.0%. Female students graduated at a rate of 39.3%, whereas male students graduated at a rate of 32.6%.

36.0%

  • African American 5.7% 2 students
  • white 43.1% 90 students
  • unknown 25.0% 3 students
  • hispanic 22.2% 2 students

Athletic Associations

  • NJCAA
    National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)

Service Offerings

Highland Community College provides the following additional services to its students
  • On-campus day care for students' children
  • Remedial services
  • Placement services for graduates
  • Academic/career counseling services
  • Employment services for students

Educational Offerings

Highland Community College offers educational programs in the following categories. Check the programs section to learn more about specific programs that you are interested in.
  • Academic
  • Occupational
  • Postbaccalaureate Recreational or avocational education
  • Adult basic remedial or high school equivalent

Special Learning Opportunities

  • Weekend/evening classes

Veteran Services

  • Member of Service-members Opportunity Colleges
  • Dedicated point of contact for support services for veterans, military service-members, and their families
  • Recognized student veteran organization
  • Credit for military training

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.