Head-to-head comparison
Black Hawk College vs City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College: which has better ROI?
Option A Moline, IL
Black Hawk College
- Net price / year
- $6,944
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,253
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Chicago, IL
City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College
- Net price / year
- $9,494
- Earnings, 10 years
- $28,467
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Black Hawk College comes closer — median earnings $37,253 against a $27,776 total, vs $28,467 at City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Black Hawk College | City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $6,944 | $9,494 |
| Total net cost | $27,776 | $37,976 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $37,253 | $28,467 |
| Median debt | $8,375 | $6,180 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$249,916 | -$435,836 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Black Hawk College or City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College?
Black Hawk College, at $6,944 a year after aid versus $9,494 — a gap of $2,550 a year, or $10,200 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Black Hawk College or City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College graduates earn more?
Black Hawk College graduates report a median $37,253 ten years after entry, $8,786 more than the $28,467 at City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, Black Hawk College or City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College?
City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College: its completers carry a median $6,180 in federal loans versus $8,375 at Black Hawk College, a difference of $2,195. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
40% of students finish at Black Hawk College, against 31% at City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.