Morton College

What Morton College does

Morton College is a public community college established in 1924 and operating under Community College District 527 in Cicero, Illinois. It is the second oldest community college in Illinois and serves approximately 5,485 unduplicated students across credit-seeking (4,452), adult education (791), and non-credit (589) programs, with a full-time-equivalent (FTE) count of 2,040. The institution offers 15 Associate in Applied Science degrees, 39 career certificates, and 5 transfer program degrees spanning Business Technologies, Health Occupations, Technical Occupations (Automotive, CIS, CAD, HVAC, Welding, Early Childhood Education), Public Safety, and Humanities and Fine Arts. Dual Enrollment (267 students) and Dual Credit (870 students) programs target high school pipelines, while adult education addresses GED, ESL, and career transition needs for an average student age of 24.7 years. The student body is 82% Hispanic, with 87% of students residing in the District 527 catchment area of Berwyn, Cicero, Forest View, Lyons, McCook, and Stickney.

The college's operational technology stack is built on commodity third-party platforms: Blackboard serves as the learning management system for course delivery and virtual classrooms, Microsoft 365 provides email and productivity tooling, the Experience Portal handles student self-service for registration and financial information, and Nelnet processes tuition payment plans. There is no proprietary technology, no custom platform, and no disclosed AI/ML capability — the college operates as a consumer of vendor tools rather than a builder. Student support services include a Tutoring Center, Counseling Services (with TimelyCare 24/7 virtual care and Aiberry mental health screening partnerships), an Office of Student Accommodations for ADA/ Section 504 compliance, and a structured Panther Pathways program for guided transfer to four-year institutions.

The business model is a public-sector educational funding model: revenue derives from tuition and fees combined with state appropriations and Community College District 527 funding. As a public institution governed by a locally elected Board of Trustees, Morton College is not investor-backed, does not raise venture or private equity capital, and does not operate as a profit-seeking entity. GTM motion is community-led, relying on free campus tours, in-person recruitment via the One Stop Center, and direct-to-student advising by six alphabetized Student Success Coaches covering the full A-Z student population. Pricing is set per district and state guidelines, with Nelnet payment plan support and standard fees such as an $11 diploma mailing fee. Total headcount stands at 360 employees (52% full-time, 48% part-time), comprising 7% administrators, 199 faculty, and 137 classified staff. In 2025, the college awarded 553 degrees and certificates.

Name

Morton College

Legal name

Morton College

Website

https://morton.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Morton College is a public community college founded in 1924 in Cicero, Illinois, serving approximately 5,485 students across credit, adult education, and non-credit programs within Community College District 527. It offers associate degrees, career certificates, and transfer pathways with revenue sourced from tuition and state appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community College Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (6112), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHADAA

Public Community Colleges

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Community & Junior Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHADAE

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Community & Junior Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHADAC

Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Community & Junior Colleges

SECONDARYEDAAAEAB

Community & Adult Education (Municipal/Community Schools)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

Keywords

• Community college education
• Associate degree programs
• Workforce training
• Adult education
• Transfer pathways

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Public community college funded primarily through tuition and state/community college funding. Revenue generated from credit programs, adult education, and non-credit workforce programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Morton College is a public community college that delivers post-secondary education and career training to residents of Community College District 527 in Illinois. It offers 15 Associate in Applied Science degrees, 39 career certificates, 5 transfer program degrees, dual enrollment for high school students, adult education (GED/ESL), and non-credit workforce and community programs.

Product overview

Morton College is a community college offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and student services. The college provides 15 Associate in Applied Science degrees, 39 career certificates, and 5 transfer program degrees. Academic programs include Business Technologies, Health Occupations, Technical Occupations (Automotive, CIS, CAD, HVAC, Welding, Early Childhood Education), Public Safety, and Humanities and Fine Arts. Early college programs include Dual Enrollment, Dual Credit, and Summer Bridge for high school students transitioning to college. The college operates workforce development programs through Workforce and Community Programs, including WIOA-funded career training and professional certifications through partnerships with CareerStep. Student support infrastructure includes the Experience Portal student self-service system, Blackboard learning management system, Panther Pathways guided transfer programs, Tutoring Center, Counseling Services, and Office of Student Accommodations for students with disabilities. Morton College serves approximately 5,485 students across credit, adult education, and non-credit programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dual Enrollment Early college program allowing high school students to enroll in college courses and earn both high school and college credit simultaneously.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Triton College: Public community college in River Grove, IL, serving several of the same western Cook County suburbs as Morton. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and student demographics; competes for overlapping in-district and out-of-district students.
• South Suburban College: Public community college in South Holland, IL serving the far south suburbs. Comparable in size and program mix with significant workforce and adult education focus; competes for students in overlapping commuting corridors.
• Prairie State College: Public community college in Chicago Heights, IL, serving south suburban Cook County. Comparable community college model with similar career-technical and transfer pathways, competing for Hispanic and adult learner populations in adjacent districts.
• Moraine Valley Community College: Public community college in Palos Hills, IL, serving the south/southwest suburbs of Chicago. Comparable in size and program mix (transfer plus workforce), and competes with Morton for tuition-paying students in overlapping regional commuting areas.
• Joliet Junior College: The oldest community college in the United States, based in Joliet, IL. Comparable public community college with parallel associate degree, certificate, and workforce offerings; serves as a regional benchmark for program development and student services strategy.
• Richard J. Daley College (City Colleges of Chicago): One of the City Colleges of Chicago located on the city's southwest side. Comparable urban/suburban community college with similar Hispanic-majority enrollment and workforce programs; competes for Chicago-resident students who might otherwise enroll at Morton.

Broad incumbents

• Harper College: Public community college in Palatine, IL serving the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Larger scale, broader program offerings, and stronger transfer reputation; competes with Morton for high-achieving transfer-bound students.
• College of DuPage: Largest single-campus community college in Illinois, located in Glen Ellyn, IL. Significantly broader program catalog and geographic reach; competes with Morton for transfer-oriented students willing to commute to a more prestigious institution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/mortoncollege_counseling
• Xx.com/mortoncollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/92169967967
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morton-college

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Morton College