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Joliet Illinois SkylinePhoto: Dennisyerger84 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Joliet

Joliet is home to two colleges, with 9,705 students on campus

Joliet Junior College (8,123 students on campus) and the University of St Francis (1,582) are inside the city. About 6% of Joliet’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois (6%).

Joliet Junior College

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 Joliet. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
14,994 students on campus
Nearest college
2 mi
Joliet Junior College
Residents in college
6%
About the same as IL (6%)
Nearest community college
2 mi
Joliet Junior College · $4,530 tuition
Nearest public university
22.8 mi
Governors State · $12,004 in-state
Median household income
$92K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Joliet

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

A community college in JolietJoliet Junior College has 8,123 students on campus in Joliet, 21% of whom graduate within three years.In-state price at Governors StateLiving in Illinois, Governors State University charges $12,004 in tuition and fees, the same for every student.Students are 6% of residentsAbout the same as Illinois (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Joliet

Two private colleges within 7.1 miles, and Joliet Junior College 2 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, Governors State University, is 22.8 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miJoliet Junior CollegeLewis UniversityUniversity of St FrancisJoliet
University or collegeCommunity college
Joliet Junior CollegeCommunity college · Public · 8,123 on campus · In Joliet$2knet price21%graduate$43kearningsTuition and fees: $4,530 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.University of St FrancisUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,582 on campus · In Joliet · mostly online65%admitted$13knet price67%graduate$64kearnings50% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Lewis UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 5,289 on campus · 7.1 mi · Romeoville71%admitted$17knet price67%graduate$66kearnings

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 and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Joliet’s median household income ($92,201) falls.

Joliet Junior CollegeIn Joliet · sticker $9,452 · tuition $4,530$3,835a year
University of St FrancisIn Joliet · mostly online · sticker $46,239$11,311a year
Governors State University22.8 mi · University Park · sticker $24,227$16,741a year
Lewis University7.1 mi · Romeoville · sticker $47,313$19,908a 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: 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 →Joliet Junior CollegeUniversity of St FrancisLewis UniversityGovernors State
Joliet Junior College21% graduate$43k earnings$10k typical debt
Lewis University67% graduate$66k earnings$22k typical debt
Governors State University22% graduate$58k earnings$19k typical debt
University of St Francis67% graduate$64k earnings$21k 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.

Majors

What students study in Joliet

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Joliet Junior College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Liberal arts 21%Mechanics & repair 15%Health professions 14%Business 14%Computer science 11%Interdisciplinary 4%Everything else 20%

Biggest programs

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities595 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Biological and Physical Sciences112 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing97 graduates a year
$83k4 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions48 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians39 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Culinary Arts and Related Services35 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations24 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians17 graduates a year
$70k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating. Left out: University of St Francis, where most students study only online.

Questions about college in Joliet

Is Joliet a college town?

No. About 6 of every 100 Joliet residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Illinois (6). The largest campus in the city, Joliet Junior College, has 8,123 students on campus.

What colleges are in Joliet?

Joliet Junior College and the University of St Francis are inside the city.

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

Joliet Junior College in Joliet, 2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,530 a year for Illinois residents; the federal net price, $1,672, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Governors State University cost if we live in Illinois?

Tuition and fees are $12,004 a year in-state and $12,004 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $9,563 (under $30,000 income) to $22,076 (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 Joliet. 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 →