Education

Educational Attainment

The highest level of educational attainment category for the majority of Northwest Illinois' population is high school graduate. For those that pursue post-secondary education, most stop once attaining an associate's degree or completing some college. BHRC counties lag the state and nation in bachelor's as well as graduate/professional degrees. In Whiteside County, the percentage of residents with a bachelor's degree is about half that of the state's.

Higher educational attainment usually leads to higher earnings, and higher earnings contribute to personal and family stability.  A sizable percentage of students - larger than state and national percentages - have some college experience but no degree.*  This may represent an area of need, especially if the "Some college, no degree" population was unable to obtain a work-related certificate.  On the plus side, the percentage of people earning only an associate's degree in most BHRC counties is higher than state and national percentages.**

*Jo Daviess County's rate is on par with Illinois and the United States
**Carroll County's rate is on par with Illinois and the United States

Primary & Secondary Schools

Figures on district enrollment, district chronic absenteeism, high school dropout rate, and high school graduation rate are included in the table below. Enrollment may viewed as a proxy for other population trends, while chronic absenteeism, dropout rate, and graduation rate may act as predictors of an individual's future economic/personal stability. Attendance metrics are only reported based on home district while enrollment metrics are available for both home and serving districts.

Note: Home districts, as defined by ISBE, are those schools "that a student attends or would attend if not placed/transferred to another school/program to receive needed services," while a serving district is a "school or program where the student is being educated."

Teacher Salary

The average salary for primary and secondary teachers in Northwest Illinois is largely below the state average with a few exceptions (River Ridge CUSD 210 in Jo Daviess County, Byron CUSD 226 in Ogle County, and Rock Falls Twp HSD 301 in Whiteside County). Average teacher salary is calculated by base salary divided by the number of full-time teachers in the district. Consequently, these salaries may fluctuate as seasoned teachers retire or leave as well as when additional teachers are added to the staff.

Community Colleges

From FY22-23, enrollment increased slightly for four of six local community colleges. This is in line with a statewide trend; while enrollment has steadily decreased since 2014, it ticked up in FY22 and FY23.

The US Department of Education (US ED) calculates graduation rates for non-degree granting schools based on full-time, first-time students that graduated in the same school where they started college. This paints an incomplete picture of student success. Another statistic that US ED uses is "Outcomes 8 Years After Attending," which looks at four outcomes eight years after entry for full-time and part-time students who both started at the college and transferred in. These outcomes are illustrated below.

Note: Highland Community College in Freeport and Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon are the only two community colleges based physically in the region.  Morrison Tech, a not-for-profit college offering associate's degrees, is also located in the region in Morrison.

The largest programs by completion were Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Humanities; Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences; and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies. Completions include programs that award associate's degrees and certificates.

Of the eighteen programs that recorded completions in 2022, nine saw a decrease in completions, two saw no change, and seven saw an increase. The largest percentage increase in completions were in Engineering; Personal and Culinary Services; and Transportation and Materials Moving. The largest decreases in the region were in the Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services as well as Engineering Technologies/Technicians. Many factors influence changes in completions such as shrinking population, changes in education requirements for specific careers, or resources available to students.