# College classes in Illinois prisons can't keep up with demand

> Waitlists for higher education behind bars grew 80% in a year, even as programs prove they reduce recidivism and help people find jobs.
- Title: College classes in Illinois prisons can't keep up with demand
- Summary: Waitlists for higher education behind bars grew 80% in a year, even as programs prove they reduce recidivism and help people find jobs. Nearly 3,700…
- Keywords: illinois prisons, higher education, illinois department of corrections, idoc, education justice project, university of illinois urbana-champaign, danville correctional center, sheridan correctional center, northwestern university, lewis university, recidivism, prison education
- Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/2026/09/16/more-people-than-ever-are-trying-to-get-into-college-classes-in-illinois-prisons-it-hasnt-gotten-easier
- Published: 2026-09-16T10:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: illinois prisons, higher education, illinois department of corrections, idoc, education justice project, university of illinois urbana-champaign, danville correctional center, sheridan correctional center, northwestern university, lewis university, recidivism, prison education
## Demand for prison college soars
College waitlists in Illinois prisons jumped 80% in one year. Around 3,700 people are waiting while only 2,600 are enrolled.
## It's not about interest
The challenge isn't getting incarcerated people interested in education. It's the state's capacity to meet that interest.

> That's a pretty powerful indication that the challenge isn't a lack of interest in education, it's our capacity to meet that interest
## Education reduces recidivism
Research shows prison education helps people find jobs after release and makes them less likely to return to prison.
## Early release incentive
In Illinois, people who complete educational programs can earn credit toward an earlier release from prison.
## New transparency law
Illinois is one of few states requiring corrections departments to publish detailed data on enrollment, waitlists, and spending for prison education programs.
## White students overrepresented
White people make up a third of Illinois prisoners but nearly half of college students. Black people are 52% of prisoners but only 43% of students.
## Women's enrollment drops
Only 160 women are enrolled in prison higher education programs, down about 25% from last year.
## Priority for those near release
The average college student in Illinois prisons is 39 years old with about 4.4 years left on their sentence.
## Geography determines access
Where someone is incarcerated largely determines whether they can access higher education. Access is extremely uneven across facilities.

> The experience of trying to access education can depend considerably on where someone is incarcerated.
## Average wait drops slightly
The average wait for a college spot fell from 1.3 years to 324 days, possibly because more people passed placement tests and joined waitlists.
## Some wait nearly five years
Danville Correctional Center has the longest average wait at 5.5 years. Logan women's prison follows at 4.9 years.
## One person waited 19 years
At Big Muddy River prison, one person has been on the college waitlist since October 2006, the longest wait in the system.
## Sheridan absorbs Stateville programs
At Sheridan Correctional Center, 78% of the population is studying or waiting. Its waitlist grew after absorbing Northwestern's program from closed Stateville.
## Some prisons offer nothing
Pontiac prison in central Illinois has no higher education programming at all. Menard in southern Illinois has just 8 people enrolled.
## GED programs improving
Waitlists for GED and literacy programs shrank slightly this year due to increased staffing and higher pass rates.
## State funding for public colleges
Illinois' 2027 budget included $250,000 for bachelor's programs and $250,000 for associate degree programs in prisons.
## Private universities dominate
Most bachelor's programs come from private schools like Northwestern, Lewis, Adler, and Augustana. North Park offers a master's degree.
## Few public colleges participate
Only University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Eastern Illinois University offer academic courses. Just three community colleges offer any programming.
## More academic courses coming
IDOC expects higher education staffing to increase as community colleges reinstate academic courses using newly appropriated state funds.
## Key takeaway

Nearly 3,700 incarcerated people in Illinois are waiting for college classes, with some stuck on waitlists for up to 19 years.