Colleges
7
None in the U.S. News rankings
Students
9,576
2025 school year
International
120
1.3% of students
Intl. undergrad / grad
104 / 16
2025 school year
International students by year
UndergraduateGraduate
From 2013 to 2025, international students grew 135% and their share of students went from 0.4% to 1.3%.
Living in Rockford
below 32°F32–50°F50–64°F64–77°Fcoloured by monthly mean temperature
Monthly precipitation (in)Months with snow
Jan is the coldest month, averaging 15 to 29°F; Jul is the warmest, 64 to 84°F; 38 in of snow a year, 39 in of precipitation a year.
- Community
- 3.7%of residents in Rockford are Asian; 13% were born outside the U.S. (nationwide: 6.0% and 14%)
- Cost of living
- 92.2price index for the Rockford, IL metro area (U.S. = 100): 8% below the national average; housing is 30% below
- Rent
- $725median one-bedroom rent in Rockford; two-bedroom $1,004, U.S. one-bedroom $1,235
- Income
- $54,752median household income in Rockford (U.S. $80,734)
Data: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2020–2024; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024; NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Temperatures are from the Rockford Gtr Rockford Ap weather station (about 9 mi away). Rent is the median gross rent (utilities included) across all renters; asking rents for new leases are usually higher.
Colleges in Rockford, Illinois
| Rank | School | Type | Students | International | International share | Acceptance rate | Undergraduate tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | RRockford University | Private nonprofit, 4-year | 1,241 | 94 | 7.6% | 93% | $37,780 |
| — | RRock Valley College | Public, 2-year | 5,978 | 26 | 0.4% | — | $7,379 |
| — | RRasmussen University-Illinois | Private for-profit, 2-year | 1,145 | 0 | 0.0% | — | $16,581 |
| — | SStautzenberger College-Rockford Career College | Private for-profit, 2-year | 682 | 0 | 0.0% | — | $16,699 |
| — | SSaint Anthony College of Nursing | Private nonprofit, 4-year | 263 | 0 | 0.0% | — | $27,811 |
| — | TTricoci University of Beauty Culture-Rockford | — | 170 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — |
| — | EEducators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Rockford | — | 97 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — |
Admit rate is the latest first-year admit rate (blank for colleges without or with very few first-year applicants); tuition is out-of-state tuition and fees. Source: U.S. Department of Education.
Popular majors in Rockford, Illinois
Most-awarded degrees at colleges in the city, 2025
Bachelor's
| Program | Graduates | International |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 2 colleges | 86 | 5 6% |
| Exercise Science and Kinesiology | 29 | 3 10% |
| Computer Science | 23 | 2 9% |
| Business Administration and Management, General | 17 | 1 6% |
| Criminology | 14 | 0 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching | 14 | 0 |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 13 | 0 |
| Accounting | 12 | 2 17% |
| Marketing/Marketing Management, General | 9 | 1 11% |
| Art/Art Studies, General | 7 | 0 |
Master's
| Program | Graduates | International |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management, General | 35 | 6 17% |
| Urban Education and Leadership | 33 | 0 |
| Special Education and Teaching, General | 9 | 0 |
| Secondary Education and Teaching | 6 | 0 |
| Reading Teacher Education | 5 | 0 |
| Education, General | 4 | 0 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 3 | 0 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching | 2 | 0 |
| Multicultural Education | 1 | 0 |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 1 | 0 |
First majors only. Source: U.S. Department of Education.
Other cities in Illinois
| City | Colleges | Students | International |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 60 | 194,145 | 22,512 |
| Champaign | 2 | 65,252 | 13,508 |
| Evanston | 3 | 24,249 | 5,308 |
| Romeoville | 1 | 7,011 | 1,397 |
| Dekalb | 2 | 15,513 | 973 |
| Springfield | 6 | 12,280 | 957 |
| Edwardsville | 1 | 11,893 | 948 |
| Carbondale | 1 | 11,790 | 874 |
| Normal | 3 | 26,572 | 683 |
| Charleston | 1 | 8,505 | 663 |
| Glen Ellyn | 1 | 26,224 | 653 |
| Macomb | 1 | 6,332 | 652 |
| University Park | 1 | 4,397 | 627 |
| Rock Island | 2 | 2,635 | 507 |
| Des Plaines | 1 | 8,329 | 466 |
| Lake Forest | 2 | 2,033 | 364 |
| Elmhurst | 1 | 3,997 | 355 |
| Peoria | 4 | 5,774 | 352 |
| Elgin | 3 | 11,349 | 350 |
| Grayslake | 1 | 12,530 | 321 |
| Galesburg | 2 | 2,739 | 304 |
| River Forest | 2 | 8,573 | 299 |
| East Peoria | 2 | 7,971 | 255 |
| Lisle | 4 | 35,684 | 209 |
| Deerfield | 1 | 869 | 202 |
| Wheaton | 1 | 2,874 | 194 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 2,392 | 192 |
| Palatine | 1 | 13,988 | 176 |
| Elsah | 1 | 339 | 139 |
| Greenville | 1 | 1,104 | 122 |
| Rockford | 7 | 9,576 | 120 |
| River Grove | 1 | 9,842 | 112 |
| Palos Hills | 2 | 11,382 | 108 |
| Naperville | 1 | 3,003 | 103 |
| Quincy | 4 | 3,300 | 90 |
| Palos Heights | 1 | 854 | 85 |
| Bloomington | 1 | 1,582 | 82 |
| Decatur | 3 | 4,014 | 72 |
| Addison | 1 | 32,944 | 71 |
| Bourbonnais | 1 | 3,339 | 56 |
| Joliet | 4 | 17,568 | 53 |
| Downers Grove | 3 | 2,745 | 52 |
| Freeport | 1 | 1,360 | 49 |
| Moline | 1 | 4,001 | 47 |
| Chicago Heights | 1 | 2,953 | 43 |
| Kankakee | 1 | 2,564 | 36 |
| Jacksonville | 1 | 942 | 36 |
| Aurora | 1 | 5,923 | 31 |
| Belleville | 1 | 8,492 | 28 |
| North Chicago | 1 | 2,021 | 23 |
| Carterville | 1 | 3,224 | 12 |
| Malta | 1 | 2,969 | 12 |
| Lombard | 2 | 563 | 10 |
| Oglesby | 1 | 2,720 | 8 |
| Mundelein | 1 | 200 | 8 |
| Crystal Lake | 3 | 10,122 | 7 |
| Bridgeview | 1 | 470 | 7 |
| Eureka | 1 | 527 | 6 |
| Skokie | 4 | 419 | 5 |
| Niles | 2 | 86 | 5 |
| Dixon | 1 | 1,467 | 4 |
| Harrisburg | 1 | 1,446 | 4 |
| Monmouth | 1 | 713 | 4 |
| Glendale Heights | 1 | 132 | 4 |
| Schaumburg | 1 | 490 | 3 |
| Oak Forest | 2 | 195 | 3 |
| Danville | 2 | 2,363 | 1 |
| Canton | 2 | 1,287 | 1 |
| Willowbrook | 1 | 443 | 1 |
| Oakbrook | 1 | 337 | 1 |
| Libertyville | 1 | 162 | 1 |
| Sugar Grove | 1 | 8,305 | 0 |
| Godfrey | 1 | 4,606 | 0 |
| Mattoon | 1 | 3,960 | 0 |
| South Holland | 1 | 3,818 | 0 |
| Olney | 1 | 3,726 | 0 |
| Centralia | 1 | 3,669 | 0 |
| Cicero | 1 | 3,562 | 0 |
| Ina | 1 | 2,015 | 0 |
| Melrose Park | 1 | 1,539 | 0 |
| Ullin | 1 | 1,156 | 0 |
| Carlinville | 1 | 513 | 0 |
| Tinley Park | 2 | 391 | 0 |
| Gurnee | 1 | 185 | 0 |
| Wheeling | 1 | 183 | 0 |
| Oak Brook | 1 | 176 | 0 |
| Urbana | 1 | 173 | 0 |
| Calumet City | 2 | 163 | 0 |
| Oswego | 1 | 136 | 0 |
| Stone Park | 1 | 136 | 0 |
| Hoffman Estates | 1 | 123 | 0 |
| Bloomingdale | 1 | 103 | 0 |
| Matteson | 1 | 96 | 0 |
| Prospect Heights | 1 | 95 | 0 |
| Alton | 1 | 83 | 0 |
| Oak Lawn | 1 | 82 | 0 |
| New Lenox | 1 | 75 | 0 |
| Morrison | 1 | 59 | 0 |
| Sterling | 1 | 59 | 0 |
| Sycamore | 1 | 55 | 0 |
| PERU | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Hillside | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Villa Park | 1 | 51 | 0 |
| Vernon Hills | 1 | 50 | 0 |
| Richton Park | 1 | 39 | 0 |
| Red Bud | 1 | 36 | 0 |
| Park Ridge | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Waterloo | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Glenview | 1 | 13 | 0 |
Student counts: IPEDS Fall Enrollment, US Department of Education; 2025 is the latest year. Rankings: 2027 U.S. News National Universities and Liberal Arts Colleges.