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Chatham water tower and Jaycee Park 2026-07-05Photo: User:Visviva · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Chatham

Lincoln Land Community College is 5.4 miles from Chatham

No college sits inside Chatham’s boundary, but Lincoln Land Community College’s campus in Springfield, with 4,049 students on campus, is 5.4 miles from the center of town. About 3% of Chatham’s residents are enrolled in college, below Illinois (6%).

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Chatham. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
6,549 students on campus
Nearest college
5.4 mi
Lincoln Land
Residents in college
3%
Below IL (6%)
Nearest community college
5.4 mi
Lincoln Land · $3,744 tuition
Nearest public university
5.6 mi
University of Illinois Springfield · $12,252 in-state
Median household income
$107K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Chatham

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A community college 5.4 miles awayLincoln Land Community College has 4,049 students on campus in Springfield, 48% of whom graduate within three years.In-state price at University of Illinois SpringfieldLiving in Illinois, the University of Illinois Springfield charges $12,252 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $22,017. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 3% of residentsBelow Illinois (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Chatham

Both are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Chatham.

5 mi10 mi15 miLincoln LandUniversity of Illinois SpringfieldChatham
University or collegeCommunity college
Lincoln Land Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 4,049 on campus · 5.4 mi · Springfield$4knet price48%graduate$38kearningsTuition and fees: $3,744 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.University of Illinois SpringfieldUniversity or college · Public · 2,500 on campus · 5.6 mi · Springfield86%admitted$10knet price53%graduate$57kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Chatham’s median household income ($106,773) falls.

Lincoln Land Community College5.4 mi · Springfield · sticker $12,379 · tuition $3,744$9,345a year
University of Illinois Springfield5.6 mi · Springfield · sticker $25,521$12,349a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Chatham: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Lincoln LandUniversity of Illinois Springfield
Lincoln Land Community College48% graduate$38k earnings$11k typical debt
University of Illinois Springfield53% graduate$57k earnings$19k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Questions about college near Chatham

Is Chatham a college town?

No. About 3 of every 100 Chatham residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Illinois (6). The nearest campus, Lincoln Land Community College, is 5.4 miles away in Springfield.

What colleges are near Chatham?

Within 15 miles: Lincoln Land Community College (5.4 miles, 4,049 students on campus) and the University of Illinois Springfield (5.6 miles, 2,500).

What is the closest community college to Chatham, and what does it cost?

Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, 5.4 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,744 a year for Illinois residents; the federal net price, $4,299, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does the University of Illinois Springfield cost if we live in Illinois?

Tuition and fees are $12,252 a year in-state and $22,017 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $5,778 (under $30,000 income) to $16,544 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Chatham. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →