What Wilbur Wright College does

Wilbur Wright College is a public community college located at 4300 N. Narragansett Ave in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood, operating as one of seven colleges within the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) Community College District No. 508, the largest community college system in Illinois. The college runs a main campus and a satellite at the Wright College Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center, serving traditional college students, adult learners, high school students in early-college programs, veterans, and continuing-education participants. Wright carries a district-wide Center of Excellence designation in Engineering and Computer Science and posts the highest retention rates (72% full-time, 51% part-time) and the highest 3-year graduation rate (31%) among all CCC colleges per IPEDS Fall 2021 cohort data.

Wright delivers associate degrees, certificates, free GED and ESL adult-education classes, continuing-education courses, online learning, and Earn-and-Learn apprenticeships through the Brightspace LMS, with student services (advising, registration, financial aid) routed through the EAB Navigate platform, Salesforce for Enrollment and Partnerships, and a virtual student-services portal powered by Microsoft 365 and Zoom. The college integrates generative-AI literacy and AI-building curriculum through the Tech at CCC initiative, and its technology stack is shared district-wide rather than Wright-specific.

Wright's revenue model rests on per-credit-hour tuition and fees for credit programs, per-course continuing-education pricing, free adult-education delivery funded by state and federal grants, and administration of federal and state financial aid (Pell, SEOG, Illinois MAP grants, federal loans, work-study). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via online application (apply.ccc.edu) and in-person enrollment at both campuses, supplemented by Chicago Public Schools partnerships for dual enrollment and a Chicago Housing Authority Partners in Education program. The college is publicly funded and governed by the CCC Board of Trustees under Illinois state law, with no private ownership, funding rounds, or M&A activity.

Name

Wilbur Wright College

Legal name

Wilbur Wright College

Website

https://wright.ccc.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Wilbur Wright College is a public community college in Chicago, part of the City Colleges of Chicago district. It offers associate degrees, certificates, free GED/ESL classes, and apprenticeships, serving traditional students, adult learners, and high school dual-enrollment students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Community College)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Junior Colleges (61121), Junior Colleges (6112), Junior Colleges (611210)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting) (EDAHADAC), Public Community Colleges (EDAHADAA), Technical Community Colleges (Applied/CTE-Focused) (EDAHADAD), Transfer/University-Parallel Community Colleges (EDAHADAF)

Keywords

• Community college education
• Associate degree programs
• Adult education services
• Continuing education courses
• Workforce training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition and mandatory fees for credit programs, continuing education, and adult education courses. Financial aid in the form of grants, loans, and work-study from federal and state resources assists students with payment.
2. Financial Aid Administration: Administering federal and state financial aid including Pell Grants, SEOG, Illinois MAP grants, federal student loans, and work-study programs
3. Federal Grants: Workforce Equity Initiative and other federal grant programs supporting workforce development and adult education

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wilbur Wright College is a public community college within the City Colleges of Chicago Community College District No. 508 that delivers credit-bearing associate degree and certificate programs, free adult education (GED and ESL), continuing education for professional and personal development, online learning, early college programs for high school students, and Earn-and-Learn apprenticeships. It operates a main campus in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood and a satellite at Humboldt Park, and serves as the district-wide Center of Excellence for Engineering & Computer Science.

Product overview

Wilbur Wright College, part of City Colleges of Chicago, operates as a community college offering a comprehensive educational platform. The institution provides Credit Programs (associate degrees and certificates), Adult Education (free GED and ESL classes), Continuing Education for professional development, Online Learning for remote education, Early College Programs for high school students, and Apprenticeships through the Earn and Learn initiative. The college also features a Center of Excellence in Engineering & Computer Science, positioning technical education as a strategic focus area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 31% graduation rate (3-year IPEDS)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chicago Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly College programs enabling high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit prior to graduating high school. Articulated credit awarded to Chicago Public School graduates completing career pathways.
• Four-Year Universities (Star Scholarship Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransfer and articulation agreements with four-year institutions through the Star Scholarship Partners program, facilitating seamless transfer for associate degree graduates.
• Chicago Housing Authority (CHA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Education program - CHA residents and HCV Program participants eligible for quality training and educational opportunities at low or no cost.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Malcolm X College: A sister college within City Colleges of Chicago. Both institutions are public community colleges in Chicago offering associate degrees, adult education, and continuing education under the same district governance, workforce, and shared services.
• Harold Washington College: Another CCC sister college operating in downtown Chicago with the same credit, adult education, and continuing education programs under the City Colleges of Chicago district.
• Harry S Truman College: A CCC sister college serving Chicago's north side with comparable associate degree, transfer, and adult education programming under the same district infrastructure as Wilbur Wright.
• Kennedy-King College: A CCC sister college on Chicago's south side with the same district-operated credit, workforce, and adult education offerings — including Dawson Technical Institute for vocational training.
• Olive-Harvey College: A CCC sister college on Chicago's far south side, similarly offering associate degrees, transfer pathways, and adult education under City Colleges of Chicago.
• Richard J. Daley College: A CCC sister college on Chicago's south side, operating under the same district-wide governance, programs, and shared student services that Wilbur Wright leverages.

Regional players

• Harper College: A nearby suburban Chicago community college (Palatine, IL) serving the same metropolitan labor market with comparable associate degrees, workforce training, and adult education programming.
• Oakton College: A suburban Chicago community college (Des Plaines, IL) that competes for similar Chicago-area students with associate degrees, continuing education, and adult literacy programs.
• Moraine Valley Community College: A large suburban Chicago community college (Palos Hills, IL) that competes with Wright for south/southwest Chicago-area students in credit, workforce, and adult education programs.
• Prairie State College: A south suburban Chicago community college (Chicago Heights, IL) operating with similar credit, adult education, and workforce training offerings for the Chicago metropolitan area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ChiCityColleges
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/citycollegeschicago
• Facebookfacebook.com/wilburwrightcollege

Compliance2 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 Wilbur Wright College