College of DuPage (CDP, COD) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

First established in 1867, the College of DuPage (COD) is a two year community college serving Illinois Community College District 502, which encompasses most of DuPage County, rural sections of Cook County, and Will County. The main campus is located in Glen Ellyn. There are also facilities in Carol Stream, Naperville, West Chicago, Addison, Bloomingdale, and Westmont.

With over 30,000 students, COD is the largest American community college outside of California and the second-largest institution of higher learning in Illinois. The library contains roughly a quarter-million books, 30,000 video recordings, over 20,000 sound recordings, and more than 500 periodical subscriptions. The main campus covers 275 acres with 11 buildings and ambitious plans to continue expansion.

More than 25 percent of all high school graduates in District 502 attend the college at least part-time at some point after high school. It is a popular place for continuing education; nearly 20% of students enrolled already possess at least a bachelor

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Information Summary

Ranks 92nd in Illinois and 2638th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	55.5
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$5,464
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	28 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	72% / 52%
Enrollment Total (all students)	24,900

Academics

All nine associate degrees require completing a general education core in communication, physical and life sciences, mathematics, humanities and the fine arts, and social and behavioural sciences. The main academic divisions are: Business and Technology; Continuing Education/Extended Learning; Health and Sciences; Learning Resources; and Liberal Arts.

The architecture department is one of their strongest programs, and many graduates go on to transfer to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Chicago Circle, and other four year institutions with strong architecture departments. Students in architecture learn about new green design materials in the field, the intricacies of qualifying for LEED certification, and how to use computer design programs such as AutoCAD and Revit. Degrees in architecture include Architecture Certification, Pre-Architecture, and Construction Management. In recent years, the college has developed certificate programs for renewable energy, sustainable landscapes, and sustainable interiors.

The college has a highly unique and notable meteorology department

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Unique Programs

Unique programs include:

Adult Fast Track, an accelerated program for adults over 21 who work or have dependents or both and need to expedite their educations while accommodating their schedules.

COD Online, a distance education program with over 200 classes in 42 fields of study. One of the advantages to online education is that students pay in-district tuition rate regardless of residency, unlike classroom-based courses.

Admissions

For all student applicants, the fall application deadline is at the beginning of June. For priority students, financial aid applications are normally due no later than early April—check the website for the exact dates for your year of application.

Financial Aid

In addition to the usual range of grants and loans available to college students in the United States, College of Dupage offers over a hundred targeted scholarships for their students. Unique and notable scholarships include several John Belushi scholarships for theater and music students (continuing the Blues Brothers tradition), scholarships for single parents, a number of scholarships for future professional gardeners, scholarships for studying abroad, and a whopping 40 half-tuition scholarships for adult students.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 6328th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Illinois.

Students

Clubs and Organizations

There are several dozen student clubs on campus, including many academic and pre-professional clubs, culture and ethnic clubs, faith-based clubs, honors societies, literary and performing arts clubs, political clubs, and service oriented clubs. The main campus houses National Public Radio affiliate WDCB 90.9 and the widely acclaimed literary magazine Prairie Light Review. In addition to the biannual Prairie Light Review, Publications include the Courier, a weekly student newspaper, and the Chaparral, a monthly themed magazine.

Facilities for Students with Disabilities

In order to make college education accessible to everyone in their catchment area who wishes to take advantage of it, the school offers reading pens, oversized computer monitors, mobility assistance, preferential seating, sign language interpreters, an FM system, TTY, voice-activated assistive technology, large print and Braille texts, barrier-free parking, and both manual and electric wheelchairs.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

The Chaparral (known more commonly as a roadrunner) is the college

Alumni

Well known alumni include:

Brothers Jim and John Belushi
Animal rights activist, author, talk show host, and philosophy professor Steven Best
Fulbright Scholar and professor Werner Krieglstein
Actress Marisol Nichols
Writer and actor Bob Odenkirk
Olympic athlete Tom Pukstys
NFL football player Paul Spicer

College of DuPage