Head-to-head comparison
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College vs Heartland Community 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 Normal, IL
Heartland Community College
- Net price / year
- $12,013
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,768
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Heartland Community College comes closer — median earnings $40,768 against a $48,052 total, vs $36,531 at City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College | Heartland Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $7,397 | $12,013 |
| Total net cost | $14,794 | $48,052 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $36,531 | $40,768 |
| Median debt | $5,750 | $7,826 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$251,374 | -$199,892 |
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 Heartland Community College?
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College, at $7,397 a year after aid versus $12,013 — a gap of $4,616 a year, or $33,258 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 Heartland Community College graduates earn more?
Heartland Community College graduates report a median $40,768 ten years after entry, $4,237 more than the $36,531 at City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington 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 Heartland Community College?
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College: its completers carry a median $5,750 in federal loans versus $7,826 at Heartland Community College, a difference of $2,076. 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?
54% of students finish at Heartland Community 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.