South Suburban College — ROI, Cost & Payback
South Suburban College charges a net price of $3,242/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $12,968. Median earnings ten years after entry are $33,680, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, South Suburban College does not clear its cost — it ranks #100 of 116 Illinois colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $3,242/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $12,968 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $33,680 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$14,680/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$306,568 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on South Suburban College's own numbers. Net price $3,242 × 4 years = $12,968 total. Median earnings $33,680 fall $14,680 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $12,968 bill in about 1.3 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of South Suburban College students graduate?
28% finish their degree — 72% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $12,968 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $46,314 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is South Suburban College expensive compared with other Illinois colleges?
Its $3,242 net price runs $10,508 below the $13,750 median across the 116 Illinois colleges we profile, and $42,032 less across the full degree.