Will County Gazette

White students were the most represented ethnicity among students at Will County universities in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Of the 18,303 students attending institutions in the county at the time, 49.5% were white. This is a decrease of 11.2% in enrollment numbers, compared to the previous year.

Hispanic students comprised the second largest ethnic group in the county, followed by Black or African American students.

Countywide, the number of undergraduates attending the seven universities in the county during the 2022-23 school year fell by 7.9%. Joliet Junior College reported the largest student body, with 10,212 students.

Graduation rates reveal a significant achievement gap among different ethnicities. While white students graduate at a rate of 62.1%, Black and Hispanic students graduate at a rate of around 40%.

Ethnic Group	% of Total Student Body
White	49.5%
Hispanic	27.5%
Black or African American	13.1%
Asian	3.8%
Multiracial	3%
Unknown	1.9%
U.S. nonresident	0.9%