ICC Summer Enrollment Jumps Nearly 29%, Marking Fifth Straight Semester of Growth
East Peoria, IL (06/05/2025) — Illinois Central College (ICC) has seen enrollment rise for the fifth semester in a row. As of June 2, the College enrolled 3,786 students for summer 2025, a 28.9% increase over last summer. Students have also registered for 3,749 more credit hours than a year ago, a 25% increase.
This growth is driven in large part by increased enrollment in general education courses, including math, biology, English, psychology, and communication, subjects that prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges or universities. These five areas alone account for about half of the total growth in credit hours this summer. Career and technical education programs, including Sonography and HVAC, are also contributing, helping meet growing regional workforce needs in healthcare and skilled trades.
"Our focus is the success of all of our students, those planning to transfer to a university or earn a credential providing a technical skill," said Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey, President of ICC. "The continued increase in enrollment validates our efforts to remove barriers to student engagement, completion, transfer, and employment, which are making a real impact."
By revising placement testing and adopting more effective assessment strategies, ICC has reduced the number of students placed in developmental courses by 66%. Strengthened advising, simplified services, and the launch of new programs in IT and Electric Vehicles have also helped more students enroll and succeed. These efforts support both individual success and broader economic development by preparing students for high-demand roles in Central Illinois.
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Illinois Central College is a two-year community college with campuses in East Peoria, Peoria and Pekin, Illinois, providing a high-quality, affordable education to prepare students to enter the workforce or to transfer to a four-year institution. ICC is the 2020 awardee of the National Community College Charles Kennedy Equity Award from ACCT, a 2022 and 2025 EDA Good Job Challenge Institution, and the Lead College for the state of Illinois' Workforce Equity Initiative. ICC also conducts original research in agricultural fields, including water quality and soil conservation. For more information, visit icc.edu.
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