| Type | Public community college system run by the City of Chicago (Community College District No. 508); commuter campuses, no student housing |
|---|---|
| Campuses | 7 colleges and 5 satellite sites, all in Chicago, IL |
| Credentials | Basic certificates, advanced certificates and associate degrees (AA, AS, AAS, AFA); no diplomas |
| Program length | Many basic certificates take one or two semesters; career associate degrees (AAS) take four to nine semesters |
| Tuition (from Summer 2026) | $163 per credit hour in Chicago, $429 elsewhere in Illinois, $538 out of state; higher rates for some health programs |
| Accreditation | Each of the seven colleges is accredited separately by the Higher Learning Commission; many health programs hold their own accreditation |
| Federal aid | Yes, plus the Chicago Star Scholarship, Future Ready and the WEI grant (last-dollar awards) |
| Founded | 1911, as Crane Junior College |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Chicago’s seven public community colleges
City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) is the city’s public community college system, run by a Board of Trustees as Community College District No. 508. It began in 1911, when Crane Junior College opened with 30 students, and now has seven colleges and five satellite sites, with 73,107 students enrolled in FY2025. Each college is accredited on its own and has its own career focus: health sciences at Malcolm X; building trades at Kennedy-King (including its Dawson Technical Institute) and Daley; transportation at Olive-Harvey; manufacturing at Daley and Wright; and cosmetology at Truman. Harold Washington, downtown, mainly teaches transfer and business programs. The colleges admit applicants openly, but most health programs have a separate, selective application.
Recent changes: in-district tuition rose to $163 per credit hour from Summer 2026; the West Side Learning Center became Malcolm X College West Campus, with an expansion due in fall 2026; Olive-Harvey started an aviation maintenance partnership with the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in May 2025; and Wright’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program stopped taking new students in Summer 2025.
Career programs and which college teaches them
City Colleges measures programs in credit hours. A basic certificate is the shortest credential and an AAS is a career associate degree of four to nine semesters; several programs, such as HVAC and billing and coding, stack from a basic certificate up to an AAS. Credit totals below are from City Colleges’ current catalog.
| Program | College | Credential and length | Prepares for | Program accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | Malcolm X | AAS, 69 credits, 6 semesters | NCLEX-RN | ACEN (Accredited with Conditions) |
| Practical Nursing | Malcolm X | Advanced certificate | NCLEX-PN | – |
| Basic Nursing Assistant | Malcolm X, Kennedy-King | Basic certificate | Required for RN admission | – |
| Medical Assisting | Malcolm X (main and West Campus) | Advanced certificate, 31 credits, 3 semesters full time | RMA, RPT (AMT) | CAAHEP |
| Phlebotomy | Malcolm X | Basic certificate, 16 credits, 1 semester | NPA, ASCP, ASPT exams | – |
| Pharmacy Technology | Malcolm X | Advanced certificate, 30 credits, 2 semesters | PTCB | ASHP/ACPE |
| Radiography | Malcolm X | AAS, 69 credits, 6 semesters | ARRT | JRCERT |
| Surgical Technology | Malcolm X | AAS, 69 credits, about 21 months | CST (NBSTSA) | CAAHEP |
| Respiratory Care | Malcolm X | AAS, 74 credits, 7 semesters | NBRC TMC (CRT/RRT) | CoARC |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Malcolm X | AAS, 67 credits, 5 semesters | NPTE-PTA | CAPTE |
| Dental Hygiene | Malcolm X | AAS, 74 credits (94 with prerequisites), 9 semesters | National, regional and state boards | CODA |
| Mortuary Science | Malcolm X | AAS, 65 credits, 6 semesters | Illinois licensing exam | ABFSE |
| EMT-II Paramedic | Malcolm X | Advanced certificate or AAS | Paramedic | CAAHEP |
| Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC) | Kennedy-King | AAS, 61 credits, 4 semesters; certificates | HVAC technician | – |
| Combination Welder | Kennedy-King (Dawson) | Basic certificate, 26 credits, 2 semesters | Entry-level ARC, MIG, TIG welding | – |
| Plumbing and Fire Protection | Kennedy-King (Dawson) | Basic certificate, 29 credits | Plumber’s or fitter’s assistant | – |
| Electrical Construction Technology | Daley | Basic certificate, 19 credits; AC; AAS | IBEW Local 134 apprenticeship | – |
| Automotive Technology | Kennedy-King, Olive-Harvey, Truman | AAS, 66 credits, 4 semesters; certificates | Automotive technician | – |
| Diesel Technology | Olive-Harvey | AAS, 70 credits, 6 semesters; certificates | ASE heavy-truck areas, Allison | – |
| Commercial Driver Training | Olive-Harvey | Basic certificate, 16 credits | CDL | – |
| Aviation Maintenance Technician | Olive-Harvey with AIM | AAS; basic certificate | FAA A&P | – |
City Colleges also teaches CNC, mechatronics and manufacturing at Daley and Wright, CAD at Truman and Daley, culinary arts at Kennedy-King’s Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute, cosmetology and barbering at Truman (barbering also at Olive-Harvey), cannabis at Olive-Harvey and Wright, and IT programs such as cybersecurity, networking and cloud computing at several colleges.
What the main programs cover
Nursing (RN), Malcolm X College
The Nursing AAS is 69 credits over six semesters and leads to the NCLEX-RN. Clinical placements are at Chicago-area hospitals and primary-care sites. Admission is selective and separate from general college admission: applicants need a 2.75 GPA in City Colleges coursework, a score of at least 65% overall and 73% in reading on the ATI pre-admission exam, a CNA certificate and a background check. Prerequisite courses must be passed with a C or better, and the program has its own tuition rate ($248 per credit in-district from Summer 2026).
Medical Assisting, Malcolm X College
The Medical Assisting advanced certificate is 31 credits. Full-time students take three consecutive semesters (fall, spring and summer); part-time students take four. Sections run in the day, mid-day and evening, at the main campus on W. Jackson Blvd and at Malcolm X West Campus on W. Madison St. The program ends with a 3-credit practicum, is accredited by CAAHEP, and prepares students for American Medical Technologists’ RMA and RPT (phlebotomy) exams. It is on the Future Ready free-tuition list.
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Kennedy-King College
Kennedy-King’s HVAC program is built to stack. Students can start with basic certificates in Commercial Refrigeration, Domestic Refrigeration or Heating, move up to the advanced certificate, and finish with the 61-credit AAS over four semesters. The same program supplies both the HVAC and refrigeration listings on this site. The catalog does not mention the EPA Section 608 certification needed to handle refrigerants, so ask whether testing is offered or whether you will need to arrange it yourself.
Combination Welder, Dawson Technical Institute
The Combination Welder basic certificate is 26 credits over two semesters at Kennedy-King’s Dawson Technical Institute on S. State St. Courses cover arc welding, advanced welding and blueprint reading, and graduates are trained for entry-level ARC, MIG and TIG work. The certificate is on the Future Ready list, and Dawson’s Workforce Empowerment Initiative (WEI) grant can cover remaining tuition and help with tools, supplies and transport for students who keep a 2.0 GPA and volunteer. Daley College’s Welding Engineering Technology AAS and advanced certificate are the longer option.
Electrical Construction Technology, Daley College
This 19-credit basic certificate is tied to the IBEW Local 134 apprenticeship, and its courses carry 432IBEW course codes. Entry is gated: applicants need a high school diploma or GED, must be 18 or older, need two semesters of algebra, must pass a drug test and must reach the required score on the EJATT aptitude test. An advanced certificate and an AAS follow on.
Diesel Technology and CDL, Olive-Harvey College
Olive-Harvey’s Diesel Technology AAS is 70 credits over six semesters, with advanced and basic certificates as shorter options; training covers ASE heavy-truck areas and Allison transmissions, using equipment Navistar donated in 2019. The college’s Commercial Driver Training basic certificate is 16 credits, with separate certificates for Class B passenger and Class C licences. CDL applicants must be at least 21, hold an Illinois driver’s licence, and pass a DOT physical and a drug screen. Both diesel and CDL are on the Future Ready list.
Tuition, health program rates and free-tuition programs
As a public college system, City Colleges charges by the credit hour, with lower rates for Chicago residents. The FY2027 rates below were adopted by the Board of Trustees on 5 March 2026 and apply from Summer 2026. Students who registered for Summer 2026, Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 by 28 June 2026 keep the FY2026 rates ($157, $414 and $518).
| Per credit hour, from Summer 2026 | Chicago (in-district) | Other Illinois (out-of-district) | Out of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most courses | $163 | $429 | $538 |
| Nursing AAS | $248 | $532 | $668 |
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | $230 | $516 | $657 |
| Radiography | $203 | $426 | $535 |
| Dental Hygiene | $180 | $286 | $477 |
| Basic Nursing Assistant | $84 | $137 | $194 |
| Aviation Maintenance (with AIM) | $316.67 | $316.67 | $316.67 |
International students pay $538 for most courses and more for health programs (for example $994 per credit for nursing). Pre-credit courses cost half the standard rate ($82 in-district). At these rates, in-district tuition for the Nursing AAS (69 credits at $248) comes to about $17,100, Medical Assisting (31 credits) about $5,100, Combination Welder (26 credits) about $4,200 and CDL (16 credits) about $2,600. Fees and books are extra. Niche, using federal data, shows average net prices of $7,623 to $9,563 a year across the seven colleges.
Three City Colleges programs can bring tuition to zero. All are “last-dollar” awards, paid after federal and state grants:
- Chicago Star Scholarship: for graduates of Chicago Public Schools, and of Catholic high schools in Chicago that partner with the Big Shoulders Fund, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. It covers eligible tuition, books and class materials not met by other aid, for up to three years.
- Future Ready: free tuition for Chicago residents who are new to City Colleges or returning after two or more semesters away, including undocumented students. It covers one credential, finished within 150% of the program’s normal length, from a list that includes medical assisting, pharmacy technology, phlebotomy, patient care technician, sterile processing, EMT, automotive, diesel, CDL, welding, carpentry, masonry, CNC, cybersecurity, networking, software and web development, cannabis, culinary and child development. It does not cover books or other charges.
- Workforce Empowerment Initiative (WEI) grant: tuition-free trades certificates at Kennedy-King’s Dawson Technical Institute for students who keep a 2.0 GPA and volunteer, with help for transport, tools and supplies subject to approval.
City Colleges says it has invested more than $100 million since FY2018 in making college free. Other named awards include SEED, One Million Degrees, WIOA funding and the Timuel Black Fellowship. Each college has a Veterans Services Center that helps with VA benefits, peer support and job connections.
Admissions and schedule
The colleges have open admission. Most health programs at Malcolm X then require a separate application with a minimum GPA (2.5 for physical therapist assistant and surgical technology, 2.7 for radiography, 2.75 for nursing, 2.8 for dental hygiene, which also uses a points system), prerequisite courses passed with a C or better, and a background check, drug screen and fingerprinting. Some trade programs have their own gates: CDL requires age 21 and a DOT physical, Electrical Construction Technology requires the EJATT aptitude test, and Mortuary Science requires age 18. Most programs follow fall, spring and summer semesters. Medical Assisting has day, mid-day and evening sections, phlebotomy and pharmacy technology run in 8-week blocks, and Wright’s CNC certificate has morning and evening tracks.
Accreditation and results
Each of the seven colleges is separately accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Many Malcolm X health programs hold programmatic accreditation: CAAHEP (medical assisting, surgical technology, paramedic), JRCERT (radiography), CoARC (respiratory care), CAPTE (physical therapist assistant), CODA (dental hygiene), ABFSE (mortuary science), ASHP/ACPE (pharmacy technology) and CAHIIM (health information technology).
Malcolm X’s Nursing AAS is accredited by ACEN with the status “Accredited with Conditions”, according to the college’s disclosure dated 1 October 2025. A follow-up report is due on 15 July 2027, and the next full review is in spring 2033. Illinois’s nursing regulator, IDFPR, reports these first-time NCLEX pass rates for the CCC School of Nursing at Malcolm X:
| Year | NCLEX-RN (Nursing AAS) | NCLEX-PN (Practical Nursing) |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 86% (127 of 148) | 90% (19 of 21) |
| 2022 | 87% (110 of 127) | 92% (23 of 25) |
| 2023 | 85% (131 of 154) | 100% (26 of 26) |
| 2024 | 86% (151 of 176) | 100% (34 of 34) |
| 2025 | 80% (126 of 157) | 90% (36 of 40) |
Federal graduation figures shown on Niche (first-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time) range from 20% at Malcolm X to 38% at Truman; Niche does not show the cohort year. Malcolm X’s FY2025 fact sheet reports 73% fall-to-spring retention and says 44% of students transfer after a two-year degree.
Before you enroll
- Open admission gets you into a college, not into a health program. Nursing, radiography, dental hygiene and other Malcolm X programs have their own applications, GPA floors and prerequisites, so expect to complete prerequisite courses at City Colleges before you can apply.
- The RN program is “Accredited with Conditions” by ACEN, and its first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate fell to 80% in 2025 from 85–87% in 2021–2024. Ask Malcolm X what the conditions are and how the July 2027 follow-up report is going.
- Check which college and site teaches your program before applying; programs are not offered at every college. A Kennedy-King nursing pathway was announced in 2024, but the current catalog lists only the nursing assistant certificate there, and Wright’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program no longer admits new students.
- Some trade certificates lead to a first job or an apprenticeship rather than a licence: plumbing trains plumber’s or fitter’s assistants, and electrical construction is a route into the IBEW Local 134 apprenticeship, with its own aptitude test.
- Free-tuition programs have limits. Future Ready pays tuition only, for one credential, finished within 150% of normal length; Star requires a 3.0 high school GPA. Aviation maintenance costs $316.67 per credit even for Chicago residents.
Commuter colleges: no housing, but veterans and job help
City Colleges has no student housing. Each college has a Veterans Services Center; Malcolm X’s, in Room 1300, helps with VA benefits, peer support and connections to veteran-friendly employers. The WEI grant at Dawson Technical Institute includes job placement help and career workshops. Washburne culinary students train in Sikia, a restaurant run by students.
What students say
Each City College has its own Niche page, and all seven have more than 25 reviews. Weighted together, the 2,740 reviews average about 3.7 out of 5 (checked October 2026).
| College | Niche rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Harold Washington | 3.70 | 744 |
| Wright | 3.81 | 466 |
| Truman | 3.81 | 444 |
| Malcolm X | 3.84 | 386 |
| Kennedy-King | 3.57 | 285 |
| Daley | 3.53 | 276 |
| Olive-Harvey | 4.01 | 139 |
- Praised: low cost and the Star scholarship, supportive faculty and small classes, and Malcolm X’s simulation labs and clinical placements.
- Criticized: slow administrative and financial-aid offices, uneven teaching quality, little campus life, trouble getting the classes you need, and some facility and safety concerns.
We saw no sign of invited reviews or review bursts (Malcolm X’s recent reviews are spread across January to August 2025), though we did not check every college’s page in detail.
Sources
City Colleges catalog: programs by college · FY2027 tuition and fees · FY2025 annual financial report · Malcolm X nursing accreditation disclosure (Oct 2025) · IDFPR NCLEX pass rates · Chicago Star Scholarship · Future Ready · Niche (Malcolm X)
Programs & Courses
Nursing and patient care (Malcolm X unless noted)
- Nursing (RN, AAS)
- Practical Nursing (advanced certificate)
- Basic Nursing Assistant (Malcolm X, Kennedy-King)
- Patient Care Technician
Allied health and imaging (Malcolm X)
- Medical Assisting
- Phlebotomy
- Pharmacy Technology
- Outpatient Pharmacy Technician
- Medical Billing
- Medical Coding
- Health Information Technology
- Radiography
- Mammography
- Computed Tomography
- Surgical Technology
- Sterile Processing
- Respiratory Care
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Dental Hygiene
- Medical Laboratory Technician
- Medical Laboratory Assistant
- Mortuary Science
- Personal Fitness Trainer
Emergency services (Malcolm X)
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- EMT-II Paramedic
- Fire Service Operations
- Fire Officer
Construction and building trades
- Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC)
- Combination Welder
- Welding Engineering Technology
- Electrical Construction Technology
- Overhead Electrical Line Worker
- Gas Utility Worker
- Construction Carpentry
- Construction Masonry
- Plumbing and Fire Protection
- Construction Management
- Master Builder
Transportation
- Automotive Technology
- Auto Body Reconstruction
- Auto Body Repainting
- Diesel Technology
- Commercial Driver Training (CDL)
- Aviation Maintenance Technician
- Supply Chain Management and Logistics
- Forklift
Manufacturing and engineering technology
- CNC
- Mechatronics
- Manufacturing Technology
- Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) Technology
- CAD Engineering Technology
- Communications Technology
- Data Center Operations
- Industrial Supervision
- Biotechnology
Culinary, hospitality and personal services
- Culinary Arts
- Baking and Pastry
- Hospitality Management
- Bar Management
- Cosmetology
- Barbering
Information technology
- Cybersecurity
- Networking
- Software Development
- Web Development
- Cloud Computing
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Business, law and community programs
- Accounting
- Human Resources
- Business Apprenticeship
- Law and Paralegal Studies
- Criminal Justice: Public Police Services
- Child Development
- Addictions Studies
- Architecture
- Cannabis
- Sustainable Urban Horticulture
Campus Locations
Chicago, IL (Malcolm X College) 1900 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60612
Chicago, IL (Malcolm X College West Campus) 4624 W. Madison St, Chicago, IL 60644
Chicago, IL (Kennedy-King College) 6301 S. Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60621
Chicago, IL (Dawson Technical Institute) 3901 S. State St, Chicago, IL 60609
Chicago, IL (Olive-Harvey College) 10001 S. Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL 60628
Chicago, IL (Olive-Harvey South Campus) 3055 E. 92nd St, Chicago, IL 60617
Chicago, IL (Daley College) 7500 S. Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60652
Chicago, IL (Arturo Velasquez Institute) 2800 S. Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
Chicago, IL (Truman College) 1145 W. Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Chicago, IL (Wright College) 4300 N. Narragansett Ave, Chicago, IL 60634
Chicago, IL (Wright Humboldt Park Campus) 1645 N. California Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Chicago, IL (Harold Washington College) 30 E. Lake St, Chicago, IL 60601