Head-to-head comparison
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College vs Carl Sandburg College: which has better ROI?
Option A Chicago, IL
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
- Net price / year
- $7,397
- Earnings, 10 years
- $36,531
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Galesburg, IL
Carl Sandburg College
- Net price / year
- $3,662
- Earnings, 10 years
- $35,274
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College comes closer — median earnings $36,531 against a $14,794 total, vs $35,274 at Carl Sandburg College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College | Carl Sandburg College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $7,397 | $3,662 |
| Total net cost | $14,794 | $7,324 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $36,531 | $35,274 |
| Median debt | $5,750 | $4,909 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$251,374 | -$269,044 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College or Carl Sandburg College?
Carl Sandburg College, at $3,662 a year after aid versus $7,397 — a gap of $3,735 a year, or $7,470 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 City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College or Carl Sandburg College graduates earn more?
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College graduates report a median $36,531 ten years after entry, $1,257 more than the $35,274 at Carl Sandburg 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, City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College or Carl Sandburg College?
Carl Sandburg College: its completers carry a median $4,909 in federal loans versus $5,750 at City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College, a difference of $841. 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?
50% of students finish at Carl Sandburg College, against 26% at City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington 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.