Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Richland Community College

Richland Community College's general studies associate degree falls slightly below the middle of the pack among Illinois community colleges—sitting at the 40th percentile statewide with first-year earnings of $26,712 compared to the state median of $27,563. While students here carry less debt than the national average ($8,125 versus nearly $11,000), they're borrowing more than peers at other Illinois schools, where the typical debt is just $7,761. That's a 30% debt-to-earnings ratio, which is manageable but not exceptional for a two-year program.

The concerning pattern is how far behind Richland graduates are compared to top Illinois community colleges. Prairie State and Lincoln Land graduates earn around $34,000 in their first year—nearly $8,000 more than Richland students. Some of this gap reflects differences in local job markets (Decatur versus Chicago suburbs), but it's substantial enough that location-flexible students should pay attention. The 12% earnings growth over four years is positive, though it only brings graduates to about $30,000 annually.

For families in the Decatur area, this remains an affordable credential with debt you can handle on these earnings. But if your student can commute to a higher-performing Illinois community college without significantly higher costs, that's worth exploring—the earnings difference could easily outweigh modest additional transportation or housing expenses.