College of Lake County

Connect to Your Future

College of Lake County (CLC) is a public, 2-year community college fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. If your goal is to transfer to a top university or to experience the excitement of living near Chicago, CLC has a lot to offer. Change the course of your life and start your success here at CLC.

CLC provides students with a life-changing path from dreams to bright futures. At CLC, students find wide-ranging academic options, tuition value, convenient locations and small classes taught by caring faculty. Our success in changing lives is proven by the success of our graduates. Some have gone to top universities like Northwestern, the University of Illinois, and even Harvard. CLC gave them their educational start on the path to becoming nurses, lawyers, teachers, professors, scientists, and engineers.

CLC is located 72 kilometers from Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States. CLC is located in Lake County which was rated #52 on Forbes Magazine’s list of best places in the United States for business and careers. International students will find the College of Lake County to be an affordable, friendly campus to begin their education in the United States.

CLC has the community college advantage. Public community colleges are the best financial value in the American education system, because tuition is less than half that of a public university. Community colleges offer courses that are equivalent to the first two years at a university, but at a far lower cost. This is often called the “2 + 2” approach to earning a four-year degree– two years at community college and two years at a university, and is a very economical way to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Top Ten Reasons to Enroll at CLC

1. We have international student scholarships for incoming and current international students.

2. No SAT, ACT, IELTS or TOEFL exam scores required and the application is FREE.

3. Our nationally accredited and award-winning English Language Instruction (ELI) program that teaches English from beginner level to academic.

4. Guaranteed Transfer Admissions to over 29 top universities and colleges like DePaul University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Arizona State University and the American Business School in Paris.

5. A Peer Mentor Program which pairs up new students with international ambassadors to provide support in and out of college.

6. CLC serves as a center of innovation and excellence in sustainability. The Science & Engineering Building has been certified by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council as LEED Platinum, the highest level of certification achievable

7. We offer over 60 field of interest that provide students a solid foundation for their undergraduate degree.

8. Scenic 4-kilometer fitness trail around lakes and natural prairies. Students can enjoy all four seasons while located one hour from the city of Chicago, Illinois.

9. We have 4 full-time staff members to ensure you succeed from application to graduation.

10. The Baxter Innovation Lab is a design and fabrication workshop that has 2D and 3D CAD design, woodworking, metalworking, plastic working, electronics, programming for STEM.

Guaranteed Transfer Admission

Guaranteed transfer admission agreements provide CLC students seamless transfer to earn their bachelor’s degree to several partner colleges and universities in the region, nation and abroad. Based on the strength of our academic programs, CLC’s partner institutions guarantee admission for all CLC students who meet specific criteria outlined in their agreements.

• Start at CLC and finish at a college or university of your choice with CLC’s Guaranteed Transfer Admission program
• Know that you’re admitted to your transfer school as early as your first semester at CLC
• Save thousands in tuition costs and lower student debt
• Benefit from personalized academic planning from both institutions

English as a Second Language

College of Lake County has an excellent Intensive English Language program from beginning to advanced for students of all levels. Our goal is to help students learn the language as quickly as possible so they can go on to take college level classes and get their degree. Our experienced teachers, small class size, modern teaching methods and the latest language-learning technology make our academic ESL program very successful.

Affordable Tuition Cost and Strong Academics

Public community colleges are the best financial value in the American education system, because tuition is less than half of what it costs at a public university. An international student can save thousands of dollars by attending community college vs. a typical university. International students can apply for scholarships at CLC once they have been enrolled for at least one semester. Tuition is affordable and there are small class sizes with an average of 21 students per class.

Our faculty and teaching staff are outstanding and make significant statewide, regional, national and international achievements in their fields. Our faculty are researchers, presenters at international conferences, guest lecturers, publishers, writers, award recipients, and much more. Our faculty have office hours for students and are dedicated to teaching. All instructors in the transfer degree programs have master’s degrees or doctorates.

We Offer International Students Many Advantages

• A special international orientation, specialized workshops and a peer mentor program

• Free airport pickup service from O’Hare International Airport

• More than 50 associate degree transfer areas

• A diverse population of 15,000 students, but with small class sizes (average class size: 21 students)

• Many social and cultural activities offered by the F-1 Club, International Student Club, Multicultural Student Center and other student clubs

• Housing referrals to residential hotels and apartments

• Peer mentors and international student ambassadors are here to assist new students.

Admissions

Application deadlines are July 1 for fall semester and November 1 for spring semester. There is no application fee.

You are Welcome Here!