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Colleges and Universities in Chicago Southland

By Kari Kynard Ridge on May 29, 2014

Homewood, IL
Homewood / Courtesy of Michael Kappel under a CC 2.0 license.
Governors State University in Homewood, IL.

Chicago Southland’s colleges have been educating the area’s students and business leaders for generations while meeting the changing needs of the community.

With the class of 2014, Governors State University is becoming a four-year university. GSU, which opened in 1969, now offers 28 four-year degrees, 28 master’s degrees, five doctoral programs and 23 certificate programs. Set in a 100-acre sculpture park, the university enrolled 5,568 students in fall 2013, and also supports a sustainable garden.

Moraine Valley Community College is one of the largest community colleges in Illinois, enrolling more than 36,000 credit and non-credit students each year. Moraine Valley offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs, with opportunities for students to quickly move into the job market or complete the first two years of their bachelor’s degree programs. Small class sizes and a bounty of support services and sports teams have made Moraine Valley a top choice since 1967.

“Students are choosing Moraine Valley because it’s cost-effective and because they know we will prepare them to transfer to four-year schools,” says Mark Horstmeyer, director of college relations. “Students appreciate that we give them every opportunity to succeed.”

First in the Nation

Founded in 1901, Joliet Junior College has the distinction of being the nation’s first public community college. What began as a post-high school educational experiment with six students is now a thriving college offering associate’s degrees, occupational education, adult education, literacy programs, workforce development services and student support services.

Lifelong Learning

With a “mission to serve our students and the community through lifelong learning,” South Suburban College has been educating students since 1927. South Suburban now offers associate degrees, career education, a business and career institute and adult education classes.

Prairie State College is a two-year community college offering associate’s degrees, technical and career certificates, and adult, corporate, and continuing education in more than 100 fields of study, serving more than 12,000 students each year.

Saint Xavier University’s Orland Park campus offers a one-stop approach for adults seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees, career advancement and transition guidance. The Southland area also is home to Ivy Tech Community College Northwest, as well as a DeVry University campus offering graduate and undergraduate degrees.

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