Best Online Technology Programs in Crystal Lake, IL (2026)

Crystal Lake, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering technology programs, with tuition ranging from $3,822 to $12,833 per year for indexed programs. Crystal Lake has a population of about 40,436. Median household income is $105,428 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning technology-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $173,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Technology Schools to Crystal Lake

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer technology programs near Crystal Lake. Distances are calculated from Crystal Lake city center.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Crystal Lake. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

McHenry County College

Crystal Lake, IL 1.1 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score58.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Elgin Community College

Elgin, IL 14.8 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score50.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#3

William Rainey Harper College

Palatine, IL 17.1 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score59.2
Published tuition$3,822 - $12,833
Online programsYes

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#4

College of Lake County

Grayslake, IL 18.5 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score47.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

Oakton College

Des Plaines, IL 26.1 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score57.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois technology page.


Technology Wages Near Crystal Lake

Crystal Lake is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developer$134,380Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$129,710
Information Security Analyst$125,310Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$120,956
Computer Network Architect$143,800Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$138,803
Network and Computer Systems Administrator$103,170Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$99,585
Computer Network Support Specialist$73,340Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$70,792
Computer User Support Specialist$60,730Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$58,620
Web Developer$96,870Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$93,504
Computer and Information Systems Manager$173,760Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$167,722

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Crystal Lake at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,436Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$105,428Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+42.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Technology-related employment in McHenry County1,010 workers, 226 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Crystal Lake-Area Cities With Technology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited technology schools are near Crystal Lake, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering technology programs near Crystal Lake. The closest is McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Oakton College (26.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying technology roles near Crystal Lake?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying technology-related roles near Crystal Lake are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($173,760), Computer Network Architect ($143,800), Software Developer ($134,380). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lake in the Hills instead of Crystal Lake?

Lake in the Hills, IL is 3.0 miles from Crystal Lake and has its own set of local technology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Crystal Lake an affordable place to study technology?

Crystal Lake’s median household income of $105,428 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Crystal Lake while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Technology Programs

Other Programs Available in Crystal Lake

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Crystal Lake:

Data verified: June 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.