Illinois Valley Community College vs Waubonsee Community College: Softball Program Comparison

Two JUCO programs in the Region 4. Waubonsee Community College lists $2,651 less in out-of-state tuition; Illinois Valley Community College graduates 4 points more of its students.

Which one is right for you?

Neither school is better in the abstract — they are better for different athletes. These are the differences big enough to actually decide on.

Lean Illinois Valley Community College if…

  • Finishing the degree is the priority: Illinois Valley Community College graduates 4 percentage points more of its students than Waubonsee Community College.

Lean Waubonsee Community College if…

  • You would be in-state: Waubonsee Community College is $2,466 cheaper per year on published in-state tuition than Illinois Valley Community College.
  • You are weighing the degree as an investment: Waubonsee Community College graduates earn about $3,978 more per year a decade after enrolling.
  • You want to leave with less owed: median debt at Waubonsee Community College is $1,233 lower than at Illinois Valley Community College.

What it costs to go there

Published sticker price from IPEDS. Almost nobody pays it — athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off the top — but the gap between two schools is a fair read on the gap between two offers.

What it costs to go there: Illinois Valley Community College compared with Waubonsee Community College
MeasureIllinois Valley Community CollegeWaubonsee Community College
In-state tuition & fees$13,835$11,369 Waubonsee Community College leads on this measure: lower published in-state tuition
Out-of-state tuition & fees$14,981$12,330 Waubonsee Community College leads on this measure: lower published out-of-state tuition

What you leave with

Federal College Scorecard figures for all students at the institution, not softball players specifically. Read them as a signal about the degree, not about the program.

What you leave with: Illinois Valley Community College compared with Waubonsee Community College
MeasureIllinois Valley Community CollegeWaubonsee Community College
Graduation rate45% Illinois Valley Community College leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree41%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry$40,810/yr$44,788/yr Waubonsee Community College leads on this measure: higher median earnings a decade out
Median debt at graduation$8,233$7,000 Waubonsee Community College leads on this measure: less debt carried out the door
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.20%16% Waubonsee Community College leads on this measure: debt is a smaller share of what graduates earn

Getting in, and what you'd walk into

Admissions and size. A coach can support your file, but at most schools they cannot admit you — the academic profile below is the bar you still have to clear.

Getting in, and what you'd walk into: Illinois Valley Community College compared with Waubonsee Community College
MeasureIllinois Valley Community CollegeWaubonsee Community College
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.2,5948,324
Where it isOglesby, ILSugar Grove, IL

The softball program itself

Division and conference set the ceiling; the postseason record and staff tell you what the program has actually done with it.

The softball program itself: Illinois Valley Community College compared with Waubonsee Community College
MeasureIllinois Valley Community CollegeWaubonsee Community College
Head coachCory TomassonHannah Tomasko

How you actually get in front of them

Camps and questionnaires are the two channels a recruit controls. Where a program runs its own camp, that camp is usually the shortest path to being evaluated by the staff that would recruit you.

How you actually get in front of them: Illinois Valley Community College compared with Waubonsee Community College
MeasureIllinois Valley Community CollegeWaubonsee Community College
Recruiting questionnaireYes

Scholarship money, honestly

Both programs sit at JUCO (NJCAA & community colleges), so the scholarship rules are identical: varies by njcaa division. Scholarship availability at junior colleges varies by NJCAA division — some can offer full athletic scholarships, some offer tuition-level aid, and NJCAA Division III offers no athletic aid.

How JUCO softball scholarships actually work →

What to do about it this week

Questionnaires are exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit one at any age. Do both, then follow with a short email to each staff.

Illinois Valley Community College

Find the recruiting questionnaire

We do not hold a verified form link for this program — this opens a search.

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Waubonsee Community College

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Illinois Valley Community College vs Waubonsee Community College: common questions

Which school graduates more of its students, Illinois Valley Community College or Waubonsee Community College?
Illinois Valley Community College, at 45% against 41% at Waubonsee Community College (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Illinois Valley Community College and Waubonsee Community College offer softball scholarships?
Both play at JUCO (NJCAA & community colleges): varies by njcaa division. Scholarship availability at junior colleges varies by NJCAA division — some can offer full athletic scholarships, some offer tuition-level aid, and NJCAA Division III offers no athletic aid.
How do I contact the coaches at Illinois Valley Community College and Waubonsee Community College?
Waubonsee Community College runs a recruiting questionnaire — submit it first, since questionnaires are exempt from NCAA contact-date rules. For Illinois Valley Community College, we do not hold a verified form link, so start from the program page and email the staff directly.

Cost, graduation and enrollment figures from IPEDS (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2023-24). Earnings, debt and admission rates from the federal College Scorecard. Postseason results from the NCAA Division I softball tournament records, 2021-2026. Rankings from NCAA.com and U.S. News & World Report. Figures describe the institution, not the softball roster.

We work hard to keep all data for Illinois Valley Community College and Waubonsee Community College accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

Still deciding between them?

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