Public · Community college
McHenry County College
Crystal Lake, Illinois · Fringe rural
- 20%
- Transfer rate
- $7,042
- Avg net price
- 37%
- Grad / completion
- $45,143
- Median earnings
McHenry County College is a public certificate-granting institution in Crystal Lake, Illinois (fringe rural setting), enrolling 4,691 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Crystal Lake, Illinois
Crystal Lake is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The City of Crystal Lake traces its origins to two communities established in the 1800s. Those communities were generally known as Nunda and Crystal Lake. Crystal Lake, as a city, is large enough to support its cultural institutions. However, it also offers many cultural opportunities in the city of Chicago and the other large communities that surround it, which are easily accessible from Crystal Lake and vice versa. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Fringe rural
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 37 miles to Rockford, IL
- To Great Lakes shore
- 28 miles
- Nearest airport
- 31 miles to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) · major hub
How McHenry County College compares
Higher than 22% · #102 of 122 in Illinois
Higher than 47%
Higher than 83% · #15 of 113 in Illinois
Cheaper than 82% · #28 cheapest of 123 in Illinois
Lower than 94%
Lower than 12%
Larger than 90%
Percentiles compare McHenry County College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Illinois.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women2,67357%
- Men2,01843%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White60%
- Black2.3%
- Hispanic27%
- Asian2.6%
- Other or multiracial7.7%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 4,691
- Student–faculty ratio
- 25 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 11%
- First-generation students
- 48%
- Students over 25
- 18%
- Median family income
- $27,840
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $106,488
- Endowment
- $12,302,111
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 627 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Illinois99%
- Other U.S. states0.6%
Most first-years stay in state — McHenry County College draws overwhelmingly from Illinois.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $4,162
- Out-of-state tuition
- $14,399
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,400
- Total cost of attendance
- $12,345
- Average net price
- $7,042
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 37%
- First-year retention
- 71%
- Transferred to another college
- 20%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $36,496
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,143
- Median debt at graduation
- $6,260
- Students with federal loans
- 1%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 50%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- $15
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division II
- Varsity athletes
- 120 (77 men · 43 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (6)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (9,399 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 7% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,378. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 399 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $45,143
- Typical debt at graduation
- $6,260
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 14%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 52%
Typical debt would take roughly 1.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $10,732 (27%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 84°F
- Winter low
- 14°F
- Annual rain
- 39.4″
- Annual snow
- 35.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Crystal Lake 4NW, IL US station (1.4 mi from campus).
What McHenry County College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to McHenry County College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare McHenry County College side by side →
Elgin Community College
Elgin, Illinois · Midsize city · 37 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 6,648
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 18%
- Earnings
- $46k
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College
Chicago, Illinois · Large city · 10 mi to Chicago
- Students
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- Tuition
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- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $42k
Oakton College
Des Plaines, Illinois · Small city · 18 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 6,072
- Tuition
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- Transfer
- 25%
- Earnings
- $48k
College of Lake County
Grayslake, Illinois · Large suburb · 38 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 9,420
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $43k
Morton College
Cicero, Illinois · Large suburb · 8 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 2,640
- Tuition
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- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
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Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, Illinois · Fringe rural · 43 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 5,721
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 20%
- Earnings
- $45k
Colleges near McHenry County College
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Crystal Lake, IL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 278 students
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Crystal Lake, IL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 445 students
Judson University
Elgin, IL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 708 students
Ambria College of Nursing
Hoffman Estates, IL · Private for-profit · Associate · 123 students
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Elgin
Elgin, IL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 138 students
Elgin Community College
Elgin, IL · Public · Certificate · 6,648 students
University of Saint Mary of the Lake
Mundelein, IL · Private nonprofit · Graduate
College of Lake County
Grayslake, IL · Public · Certificate · 9,420 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.