Lake Land College creates and continuously improves an affordable, accessible, and effective learning environment for the lifelong educational needs and economic development of the diverse communities it serves.
Founded in 1966, Lake Land College (LLC), located in Mattoon, Illinois, serves the second largest geographic community college district in the state of Illinois. The LLC district comprises all or part of 15 counties and 31 public school districts in rural east-central Illinois. About the size of Connecticut, the district spans 3,961 square miles and depends predominately on an agriculture and small manufacturing economic base.
Originally offering classes in temporary buildings to students from 13 area school districts, Lake Land College now operates on a 317-acre main campus with ten major buildings, in three extension centers, on the Internet, and at more than 25 other off-campus sites, including 17 correctional centers across the state of Illinois. Annual enrollment, including all credit, non-credit, and Department of Corrections students, has grown from 1,412 in 1968 to more than 24,000.
The College maintains an open-door admissions policy that provides access to higher education for those individuals who can benefit from its comprehensive programs. Presenting an affordable avenue to higher education for many students, LLC currently offers over 100 technical degrees and certificate programs leading to immediate employment after graduation and has articulation agreements with many state and regional universities for over 50 pre-baccalaureate transfer programs.
