Head-to-head comparison
Heartland Community College vs Black Hawk College: which has better ROI?
Option A Normal, IL
Heartland Community College
- Net price / year
- $12,013
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,768
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Moline, IL
Black Hawk College
- Net price / year
- $6,944
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,253
- 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 $37,253 at Black Hawk College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Heartland Community College | Black Hawk College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $12,013 | $6,944 |
| Total net cost | $48,052 | $27,776 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $40,768 | $37,253 |
| Median debt | $7,826 | $8,375 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$199,892 | -$249,916 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Heartland Community College or Black Hawk College?
Black Hawk College, at $6,944 a year after aid versus $12,013 — a gap of $5,069 a year, or $20,276 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 Heartland Community College or Black Hawk College graduates earn more?
Heartland Community College graduates report a median $40,768 ten years after entry, $3,515 more than the $37,253 at Black Hawk 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, Heartland Community College or Black Hawk College?
Heartland Community College: its completers carry a median $7,826 in federal loans versus $8,375 at Black Hawk College, a difference of $549. 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 40% at Black Hawk 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.