WhatGradsMake
Certificate (under 1 year)+38% vs national median35 grads tracked

Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations at College of Lake County

Ranked 1st of 13 certificate (under 1 year) programs in Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations by 5-year earnings.

Median · 1 year out
$41,019
middle 50%: $30,253 – $54,757
Median · 5 years out
$65,986
middle 50%: $47,802 – $119,554
Median · 10 years out
n/a
not enough graduates to report

Salary trajectory

Median earnings vs the national median for Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (certificate (under 1 year)) graduates.

This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates

Graduates of College of Lake County's certificate (under 1 year) program in Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations earn a median $41,019 one year after graduating, rising to $65,986 by year five. Five years out, earnings run 38% above the national median of $47,705 for this field, ranking 1st of 13 reporting programs.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.

Will the degree pay for itself?

Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.

Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).

Paid off in
6.7 yrs
≈ $7,768 total interest

Same major at other universities

Joliet Junior College
$61,036 · 5 yrs out
North Hennepin Community College
$58,734 · 5 yrs out
Elgin Community College
$55,935 · 5 yrs out
Northern Arizona University
$54,404 · 5 yrs out
Illinois Central College
$50,197 · 5 yrs out
Otero College
$49,399 · 5 yrs out

Other majors at College of Lake County

Fire Protection (Associate)
$112,340 · 5 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services (Certificate)
$95,590 · 5 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$86,717 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Certificate)
$86,086 · 5 yrs out
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Certificate)
$85,430 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate)
$80,647 · 5 yrs out
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$78,110 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$76,582 · 5 yrs out
Computer Programming (Associate)
$76,015 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Associate)
$74,878 · 5 yrs out
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) (Associate)
$74,872 · 5 yrs out
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services (Associate)
$74,872 · 5 yrs out

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