About
Parents & Families
Rend Lake College offers the high-quality instruction you demand at a fraction of the cost of four-year universities.
President
Lori Ragland
Rend Lake College’s eighth full-time President since July 2025.
Goals & Priorities:
Aim to lead Rend Lake College into a future marked by innovation, academic quality, partnerships, financial stability, and sustained excellence.
- Enhance Educational Excellence. Expand and update instructional programs to align with evolving industry demands and community needs.
- Foster Innovation. Integrate advanced technologies and innovative teaching methods to enrich the learning experience.
- Strengthen Community Partnerships. Engage with industry and community organizations to address regional challenges and opportunities.
- Ensure Financial Sustainability and Stewardship. Maintain the college’s strong financial condition while seeking additional funding sources to support institutional growth and student success.
- Maintain Accreditation and Quality Assurance. Implement continuous improvement processes to uphold academic quality.
- Enhance public relations and institutional visibility. Maintain an active and visible presence in the community through participation in local events and gatherings.
Financial Aid
Congratulations on your decision to attend Rend Lake College. RLC Financial Aid is here to help you figure out how you are going to pay for it. Learn about tuition and costs, types of aid available and how to apply. Get connected with our staff to become a master at managing your college finances.
Dual Credit
The cost of a college education is consistently on the rise. We understand that. The Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment opportunities for area high school students save families hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. This program has saved area students millions of dollars since it was started. Find out what your student needs to do to get his or her foot in the door early and save big.
Student Services
Every student needs to be familiar with Financial Aid, Academic Advisement, and Student Records. But there are many more support services for students at RLC. Browse for areas of Student Services you want to learn more about.
Schedule A Visit
Get on board with one of our public events set up to connect you with campus. Or perhaps you would like a private tour of our facilities, led by a knowledgeable staff member. Either way, you'll quickly see why we are a college big enough for your objective and small enough to get to know you.
Award Winning
Rend Lake College again made the list of the top 150 community colleges in the nation. The Aspen Institute says RLC achieves Community College Excellence in student success rates, first-year retention, three-year graduation, and credentials awarded. More about the award.
News & Events
We want you to know about what's happening at RLC. Learn about events coming up. Read about our fantastic students and faculty, and what they're doing lately. The best way to be in the know at RLC is to link up with RSS on news & events. Go forth. Be informed.
Children's Center
The Rend Lake College Foundation Children’s Center offers care to children 6 weeks to 5 years old throughout the school year. Summer care is available to children up to 12 years old. Recently reaccredited for five more years by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Kid's Camps
Blastoff! Garbage Pail Science. Music, martial arts, basketball, baseball and more! Unplug and get your body and brain moving with Kid's Camps, each summer at RLC.
Project CHILD
Improve access to education for caregivers, improve the quality of early childhood care. Project CHILD offers access to training, support and resources to make your journey along the professional development path a success. Whatever your professional support needs, Project CHILD can help.
