IllinoisIllinois

State Summary Report Card (PDF)
Complete State Report Card (PDF)

Performance Categories

Preparation

B

Improved

Illinois performs fairly well in preparing its young people for college, but there are large gaps by ethnicity.

  • Eighth graders perform fairly well in writing, but their scores in reading and math are fair, and their performance in science is poor.
  • Only 74% percent of Hispanics and 82% of blacks have a high school credential, compared with 95% of whites.

Participation

C

Improved

Despite modest improvements, Illinois is no longer a leader in providing college opportunities for its residents.

  • The likelihood of enrolling in college by age 19 has declined, as has the percentage of working-age adults enrolled in higher education.
  • Among young adults, 25% of Hispanics and 29% of blacks are enrolled in college, compared with 45% of whites.

Affordability

F

Not Improved

Higher education has become less affordable for students and their families.

  • Poor and working-class families must devote 37% of their income, even after aid, to pay for costs at two-year colleges.
  • For every dollar in Pell Grant aid to students, the state spends 82 cents—down from 89 cents in 1993, despite significant tuition increases.

Completion

B+

Improved

Illinois performs well in awarding certificates and degrees relative to the number of students enrolled, but there are large gaps by ethnicity.

  • Fifty-nine percent of college students complete a bachelor's degree within six years.
  • Only 34% of blacks and 45% of Hispanics graduate within six years, compared with 65% of whites. The gap between blacks and whites is one of the largest in the nation.

Benefits

B

Improved

A large proportion of residents have a bachelor's degree, but there are substantial gaps by ethnicity.

  • Eleven percent of Hispanics and 19% of blacks have a bachelor's degree, compared with 36% of whites.
  • If all racial/ethnic groups had the same educational attainment and earnings as whites, total annual personal income in the state would be about $35 billion higher.

Learning

I

Like all states, Illinois receives an "Incomplete" in Learning because there is not sufficient data to allow meaningful state-by-state comparisons.

 

Change Over Time: Key Indicators

The following reflects Illinois’ performance and progress since the early 1990s on several key indicators.

Preparation

The percentage of young adults in Illinois who earn a high school diploma has increased since the early 1990s. High school completion is slightly above the U.S. average but below the top-performing states.

Participation

College enrollment of young adults in Illinois has improved slightly since the early 1990s. The state is slightly below the national average and well below the top states in the percentage of young adults enrolled.

The enrollment of working-age adults, relative to the number of residents without a bachelor’s degree, has declined in Illinois—as it has nationally and in the best-performing states. The percentage attending college in Illinois is slightly above the U.S. average but below the top states.

Affordability

The share of family income, even after financial aid, needed to pay for college has risen substantially. To attend public two-year colleges in Illinois, students and families pay about the same as the U.S. average which is more than the best-performing states. To attend public four-year colleges, they pay more than the national average and more than those in best-performing states.

Completion

The number of undergraduate credentials and degrees awarded in Illinois, relative to the number of students enrolled, has increased since the early 1990s. Illinois surpasses the U.S. average but is below the top states on this measure.

Benefits

The percentage of residents who have a bachelor’s degree has increased. Illinois is above the U.S. average but below the top states.