Capital Area Career Center
Springfield, IL 62712-3803
About Capital Area Career Center
Capital Area Career Center is a public certificate and vocational school in Springfield, Illinois, enrolling about 161 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. Typical net price after grant aid is about $16,797 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $12,075. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $55,357 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Capital Area Career Center charges about 2.2× the national public median tuition ($12,075).
- Versus the Illinois median, sticker tuition is 9% below.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 100.00%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $55,357.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Capital Area Career Center is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 724% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Area Career Center | $12,075 | $16,797 | 1 |
| Public (national median) | $5,512 | — | 1,688 |
| Illinois (state median) | $13,248 | $7,399 | 131 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Capital Area Career Center really?
Key findings
- Capital Area Career Center charges about 2.2× the national public median tuition ($12,075).
- Versus the Illinois median, sticker tuition is 9% below.
Capital Area Career Center tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $12,075
Finding Capital Area Career Center charges about 2.2× the national public median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $12,075. That is about 2.2× the national public median ($5,512). Versus the Illinois median ($13,248), sticker tuition is 9% below. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 1% above.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to public and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Capital Area Career Center versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Capital Area Career Center versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Capital Area Career Center is $16,797.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $16,797 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $9,398 above the Illinois median net price.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Capital Area Career Center, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Capital Area Career Center: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Capital Area Career Center—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$12,075
Avg. net price
$16,797
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $30,001–$48,000 | $13,100 |
| $110,001+ | $20,495 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $48,300. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Capital Area Career Center is known for
Top program completions
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 19% of admitted students enrolled.
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Capital Area Career Center a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Capital Area Career Center is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Capital Area Career Center.
Campus
Location
Springfield, IL
City / state
- ZIP
- 62712-3803
Control
Institution type
Public
Control
- Region
- Great Lakes
Size
Enrollment
161
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 465
- Full-time share
- 90%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$9,500
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 60.87%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Capital Area Career Center.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Capital Area Career Center was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Capital Area Career Center in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | — | — | $9,227 |
| 2014 | — | — | $8,751 |
| 2015 | — | — | $12,165 |
| 2023 | $11,670 | $11,670 | — |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Capital Area Career Center reported total enrollment of about 161 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 3% male and 97% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (47.8%), Black or African American (45.3%), and Two or More Races (6.2%). About 60.87% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 53.8% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
90.1% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Capital Area Career Center in 2024 is 161 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 465 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
90.0%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
70.59% 100% Completion Time
100.00% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 70.59% of students graduating from Capital Area Career Center completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training: 6% male / 94% female
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General: 0% male / 100% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Capital Area Career Center graduates earn a median of $55,357 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Capital Area Career Center.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $55,357. Median federal loan debt: $9,500. Average net price used in cost models: $16,797.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Capital Area Career Center graduates report median earnings of $55,357 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Capital Area Career Center.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 2 programs by IPEDS completions (3 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Capital Area Career Center.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Capital Area Career Center graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Capital Area Career Center—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $3,848
- Illinois median 0.51× the median ($7,575)
- Great Lakes median 0.50× the median ($7,690)
- U.S. median 0.53× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Capital Area Career Center at a glance
Capital Area Career Center
Capital Area Career Center is a public institution in Springfield, IL.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse TrainingCosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian47.8%Black or African American45.3%Two or More Races6.2%
Schools near Capital Area Career Center
Other campuses in Springfield, IL when available, plus nearby institutions in Illinois.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade B) within Illinois, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Capital Area Career Center located?
Capital Area Career Center is located in Springfield, IL.
What is Capital Area Career Center's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Capital Area Career Center is 94.4% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 54 applicants and 54 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Capital Area Career Center's tuition?
Capital Area Career Center tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $12,075 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $16,797 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Capital Area Career Center cost?
Reported tuition is $12,075 and average net price is $16,797 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $20,210 annually.
What explains Capital Area Career Center's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($16,797), completion (100.0% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($55,357). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Capital Area Career Center?
Capital Area Career Center reports undergraduate enrollment of about 465 students, White (47.8%), Black or African American (45.3%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Capital Area Career Center?
About 53.8% of students at Capital Area Career Center are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Capital Area Career Center earn?
Median earnings are $50,684 six years after entry and $55,357 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Capital Area Career Center?
The 150%-time completion rate is 100.0% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Capital Area Career Center students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $9,500.
Is Capital Area Career Center public or private?
Capital Area Career Center is a public institution located in Springfield, IL.
Is Capital Area Career Center an HBCU?
No. Capital Area Career Center is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.