Head-to-head comparison
Lake Land College vs Black Hawk College: which has better ROI?
Option A Mattoon, IL
Lake Land College
- Net price / year
- $2,254
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,877
- 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 Lake Land College comes closer — median earnings $38,877 against a $9,016 total, vs $37,253 at Black Hawk College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Lake Land College | Black Hawk College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $2,254 | $6,944 |
| Total net cost | $9,016 | $27,776 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $38,877 | $37,253 |
| Median debt | $6,188 | $8,375 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$198,676 | -$249,916 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Lake Land College or Black Hawk College?
Lake Land College, at $2,254 a year after aid versus $6,944 — a gap of $4,690 a year, or $18,760 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 Lake Land College or Black Hawk College graduates earn more?
Lake Land College graduates report a median $38,877 ten years after entry, $1,624 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, Lake Land College or Black Hawk College?
Lake Land College: its completers carry a median $6,188 in federal loans versus $8,375 at Black Hawk College, a difference of $2,187. 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?
58% of students finish at Lake Land 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.