Head-to-head comparison
Lincoln Land Community College vs City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College: which has better ROI?
Option A Springfield, IL
Lincoln Land Community College
- Net price / year
- $4,299
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,479
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Chicago, IL
City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College
- Net price / year
- $7,863
- Earnings, 10 years
- $36,484
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Lincoln Land Community College comes closer — median earnings $38,479 against a $17,196 total, vs $36,484 at City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Lincoln Land Community College | City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $4,299 | $7,863 |
| Total net cost | $17,196 | $31,452 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $38,479 | $36,484 |
| Median debt | $11,011 | $6,997 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$214,816 | -$268,972 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Lincoln Land Community College or City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College?
Lincoln Land Community College, at $4,299 a year after aid versus $7,863 — a gap of $3,564 a year, or $14,256 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 Lincoln Land Community College or City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College graduates earn more?
Lincoln Land Community College graduates report a median $38,479 ten years after entry, $1,995 more than the $36,484 at City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman 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, Lincoln Land Community College or City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College?
City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College: its completers carry a median $6,997 in federal loans versus $11,011 at Lincoln Land Community College, a difference of $4,014. 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?
48% of students finish at Lincoln Land Community College, against 32% at City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman 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.