Shawn L. Jackson, Ph.D. President | City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College
Shawn L. Jackson, Ph.D. President | City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College
Data shows that students paid $24,597 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $629 more than the previous school year.
Among the 74 institutions providing full disclosure in the county, the University of Chicago stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $64,260. Northwestern University followed with an average of $63,468 per year. The Trenz Beauty Academy students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $1,440.
At the time, at least $522.5 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Cook County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $73.5 million.
Currently there are 79 higher education institutions in Cook County, including University of Illinois Chicago, University of Chicago, and Saint Xavier University.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 79 institutions in Cook County, five did not provide detailed data on tuition fees, including Chicago Professional Center, Adler University, and Zen Shiatsu Chicago.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estelle Skin Care and Spa Institute | 55 | $282,345 | $5,134 | 66 | $444,404 | $6,733 |
| Hair Professionals Career College | 6 | $36,573 | $6,096 | 8 | $62,085 | $7,761 |
| Northeastern Illinois University | 423 | $5,313,018 | $12,560 | 63 | $422,740 | $6,710 |
| Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose Park | 898 | $4,017,398 | $4,474 | 781 | $6,486,567 | $8,305 |
| DePaul University | 2,935 | $81,540,655 | $27,782 | 1,486 | $10,471,889 | $7,047 |
| Telshe Yeshiva-Chicago | 32 | $381,293 | $11,915 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Capri Beauty College | 7 | $42,970 | $6,139 | 5 | $40,499 | $8,100 |
| VanderCook College of Music | 12 | $266,988 | $22,249 | 9 | $75,223 | $8,358 |
| G Skin & Beauty Institute | 29 | $127,088 | $4,382 | 31 | $210,882 | $6,803 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | 600 | $26,062,349 | $43,437 | 243 | $1,779,734 | $7,324 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College | 276 | $1,766,466 | $6,400 | 6 | $32,611 | $5,435 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Bridgeview | 98 | $654,182 | $6,675 | 113 | $829,660 | $7,342 |
| North Park University | 474 | $10,797,449 | $22,779 | 238 | $1,334,357 | $5,607 |
| Roosevelt University | 403 | $10,969,784 | $27,220 | 269 | $2,103,289 | $7,819 |
| South Suburban College | 111 | $740,423 | $6,670 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Bell Mar Beauty College | 7 | $46,870 | $6,696 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Empire Beauty School-Stone Park | 55 | $294,473 | $5,354 | 50 | $418,000 | $8,360 |
| St. Augustine College | 50 | $297,336 | $5,947 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Adler University | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| CAAN Academy of Nursing | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Ambria College of Nursing | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Concordia University-Chicago | 267 | $7,123,503 | $26,680 | 180 | $1,217,983 | $6,767 |
| Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus | 86 | $440,625 | $5,124 | 86 | $577,381 | $6,714 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College | 626 | $3,694,352 | $5,902 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| William Rainey Harper College | 804 | $5,246,975 | $6,526 | 35 | $187,820 | $5,366 |
| Networks Barber College | 68 | $132,568 | $1,950 | 59 | $7,526 | $128 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College | 193 | $1,196,399 | $6,199 | 5 | $20,905 | $4,181 |
| Dominican University | 598 | $16,497,534 | $27,588 | 324 | $1,778,537 | $5,489 |
| American Islamic College | 0 | $0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Phipps Academy of Barbering | 13 | $83,785 | $6,445 | 13 | $9,500 | $731 |
| Saint Xavier University | 652 | $19,748,761 | $30,290 | 620 | $3,291,128 | $5,308 |
| Pacific College of Health and Science | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Columbia College Chicago | 1,565 | $32,631,071 | $20,851 | 855 | $6,403,243 | $7,489 |
| Northwestern College | 62 | $345,742 | $5,576 | 32 | $133,645 | $4,176 |
| University of Chicago | 789 | $46,454,212 | $58,877 | 115 | $1,597,313 | $13,890 |
| Triton College | 653 | $4,319,570 | $6,615 | 26 | $90,361 | $3,475 |
| Steven Papageorge Hair Academy | 0 | $0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Estelle Medical Academy | 37 | $109,000 | $2,946 | 40 | $244,000 | $6,100 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NE | 13 | $97,817 | $7,524 | 17 | $116,049 | $6,826 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | 3,024 | $46,634,053 | $15,421 | 838 | $6,279,852 | $7,494 |
| John Amico School of Hair Design | 15 | $83,409 | $5,561 | 20 | $138,046 | $6,902 |
| Soma Institute-The National School of Clinical Massage Therapy | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology | 9 | $41,302 | $4,589 | 11 | $61,242 | $5,567 |
| HVAC Technical Institute | 64 | $195,323 | $3,052 | 64 | $260,302 | $4,067 |
| Midwestern Career College | 104 | $413,195 | $3,973 | 88 | $541,651 | $6,155 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NW | 40 | $272,707 | $6,818 | 56 | $531,805 | $9,497 |
| Prairie State College | 165 | $1,303,087 | $7,897 | 14 | $80,100 | $5,721 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College | 127 | $820,024 | $6,457 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Chicago Professional Center | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Worsham College of Mortuary Science | 9 | $56,025 | $6,225 | 9 | $85,512 | $9,501 |
| American Academy of Art College | 24 | $288,010 | $12,000 | 25 | $384,601 | $15,384 |
| MDT College of Health Sciences | 7 | $48,275 | $6,896 | 5 | $47,939 | $9,588 |
| Cosmetology Concepts Niles | 0 | $0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Rush University | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Zen Shiatsu Chicago | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College | 319 | $1,714,901 | $5,376 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| The Chicago School at Chicago | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Moraine Valley Community College | 745 | $7,457,459 | $10,010 | 65 | $308,691 | $4,749 |
| Loyola University Chicago | 3,018 | $81,858,322 | $27,123 | 1,578 | $15,523,318 | $9,837 |
| Moody Bible Institute | 133 | $1,393,382 | $10,477 | 62 | $363,840 | $5,868 |
| Hebrew Theological College | 0 | $0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 621 | $11,719,478 | $18,872 | 249 | $2,693,626 | $10,818 |
| Ms Roberts Academy of Beauty Culture | 18 | $74,300 | $4,128 | 15 | $73,281 | $4,885 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College | 636 | $3,433,596 | $5,399 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Morton College | 377 | $2,855,196 | $7,573 | 8 | $24,667 | $3,083 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Chicago | 44 | $280,276 | $6,370 | 46 | $360,678 | $7,841 |
| Taylor Business Institute | 8 | $71,822 | $8,978 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Northwestern University | 1,055 | $68,008,035 | $64,463 | 444 | $3,286,914 | $7,403 |
| Generations College | 31 | $201,379 | $6,496 | 12 | $9,838 | $820 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College | 443 | $2,797,795 | $6,316 | 10 | $51,500 | $5,150 |
| Cannella School of Hair Design-Chicago | 15 | $44,860 | $2,991 | 5 | $17,320 | $3,464 |
| Trinity Christian College | 125 | $3,753,308 | $30,026 | 79 | $574,642 | $7,274 |
| Aveda Institute-Chicago | 23 | $108,217 | $4,705 | 32 | $364,338 | $11,386 |
| Oakton College | 439 | $1,414,055 | $3,221 | 7 | $40,598 | $5,800 |
| Fox College | 10 | $113,800 | $11,380 | 10 | $63,694 | $6,369 |
| Cameo Beauty Academy | 19 | $108,872 | $5,730 | 22 | $163,505 | $7,432 |
| Trenz Beauty Academy | 7 | $27,118 | $3,874 | 6 | $30,395 | $5,066 |
| Chicago State University | 147 | $2,809,353 | $19,111 | 93 | $540,893 | $5,816 |
| Larry's Barber College | 55 | $331,160 | $6,021 | 55 | $213,785 | $3,887 |
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