Public
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Moline, Illinois
Black Hawk College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
3.33Avg GPA
$11,809Annual Cost
$37,253Grad Salary
24.8%Pell Grant
Avg GPA
3.33
Selectivity
Open Enrollment
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
-40–30
Avg Net Price
$6,718
Need-Based Aid
24.8% receive Pell
Black Hawk College, founded in 1946, is a public community college in Moline, Illinois. It offers programs in agriculture, welding, and equine studies. The campus includes a horse barn and a advanced manufacturing center.
BHC is unranked but vital to the Quad Cities region. Its Mississippi River location supports agriculture and industrial training.
Black Hawk College Acceptance Rate
Black Hawk College (BHC) runs an open-access admission policy — with a 100% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in — worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Open Enrollment
Selectivity scale: Open Enrollment — rate not reported
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Slightly below-average GPA? A strong test score or clear leadership track record can still keep you competitive.
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.33 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.13 – 3.32
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.88
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Black Hawk College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Black Hawk College follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline.
Key Admission Dates
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
BHC reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
BHC GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at BHC is 3.33. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.03–3.33 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently — for an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.53–3.73.BHC GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Holistic review is critical for admission.
Recommended Strategy: Requires Contextual Factors (Leadership, hardship, or talent).
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.33 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.13 – 3.32
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.93 – 3.12
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.92
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Institutional admission is open (100% acceptance, no SAT/ACT floor for general enrollment), but ADN/LPN nursing is competitive and HESI-gated with a hard Feb. 27 deadline for Aug. 2026 starts.
- New students accepted into nursing enroll first under "General Occupational and Technical Studies (GOTS)" until formally accepted by the nursing department - this isn't a rejection, it's the standard holding designation.
- A UIC articulation agreement supports ADN-to-BSN transfer, which is worth naming explicitly in program materials.
- East Campus (Kewanee) is agriculture-focused with its own club/competition culture, distinct from the Moline/Quad Cities campus identity.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at BHC
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Black Hawk College's verified institutional data
--%
Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
⚠️ Note: Predicting based on regional averages as this institution does not publicly report full score datasets.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Black Hawk College (BHC) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if BHC is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into BHC Without SAT or ACT?
BHC's test-score policy isn't published. As a default, submit your score only if it's at or above the state/national average — a below-average score can work against you.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for BHC
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
BHC's open-access model means the real strategic decisions happen after enrollment: course planning, advising, and whether to transfer later.
Back-time your HESI exam by a full testing cycle, not a few weeks
Black Hawk College's ADN/LPN admission isn't governed by the college's overall 100% acceptance rate - it runs on a competitive HESI Admission Assessment score, and the exam is only offered in specific windows (July, August, September, December, January, February) at the Quad-Cities Testing Center. With applications for the Aug. 2026 cohort closing in late February, a student who waits until January to test has one shot left. Book the earliest available HESI date in the cycle before your target application deadline so a low first score leaves room for a retake.
If you're a current high schooler, your nursing-pathway eligibility is locked in well before senior year
High school applicants to Black Hawk nursing programs need either top-25% class rank or an ACT composite of 20+ (if within five years of graduation with no college coursework) - this is checked at the application stage, not negotiable after the fact. A counselor should flag this by sophomore/junior year so a borderline student can adjust course rigor or test-prep timeline rather than discovering the cutoff during senior-year application season.
Use the UIC nursing agreement as a stated goal in your program application, not just a footnote
Black Hawk College has an active articulation agreement with the University of Illinois Chicago specifically easing the ADN-to-BSN transfer pathway. Students who name this as their post-associate plan in program materials or advisor meetings signal a completion-oriented trajectory, which matters on a program where "will this student actually finish and transfer" is part of how limited clinical seats get allocated.
Match your campus to your program culture, not just your commute
Black Hawk operates two distinct campus identities: the Quad Cities/Moline campus (urban, health sciences, welding, accounting) and the East Campus in Kewanee, which carries a genuinely strong, club-and-competition-driven agriculture program. A prospective ag student who defaults to Moline because it's the "main" campus misses the community and resources actually built around that program at East Campus - apply and orient toward the campus matching your major, not the flagship name.
Expert Insight:
The recurring mistake is treating Black Hawk's published 100% acceptance rate as evidence that nursing is equally accessible - it isn't. Students who apply to the ADN/LPN program without having already scheduled and taken the HESI exam are functionally applying with an incomplete file, and by the time they realize the exam has fixed offered months, they've missed the cycle.
BHC Profile
Full Name
Black Hawk College (BHC)
City
Moline
State
Illinois
ZIP Code
61265-5899
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a BHC Degree Worth It?
Whether BHC is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals — here's the data to weigh it against.
The average household income among admitted students is $53,600, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.81%.
How much does a degree from BHC Cost?
The sticker price is $11,809/year, but the average net price students actually pay — after Pell and federal grants — is closer to $6,718.
24.8% of students receive a Pell Grant and 6.8% take federal loans at BHC — file your FAFSA early and list BHC as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a BHC Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $37,253 — somewhat below the U.S. median graduate income of $40,595.
Degree Programs at BHC
Associate Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About BHC Admissions
Median earnings for Black Hawk College graduates sit around $37,253 a year.
At about $11,809 a year, Black Hawk College is on the more affordable end.
Black Hawk College's Pell Grant rate of 24.8% sits below the national average — merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
Admitted students at Black Hawk College average a 3.33 GPA.
Black Hawk College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor — but landing at or above 3.03 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 2.93, Black Hawk College becomes a harder reach — though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
Black Hawk College follows Rolling Admissions — applications are reviewed year-round, so applying early is your best strategy.
The application fee is 20. Fee waivers may be available — check with admissions.
Yes — transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most — along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
Explore Other Options
Acceptance Rate of all Illinois Colleges
Average SAT Score of Illinois Colleges
Average ACT Score
Admissions deadlines of Colleges in Illinois
Bachelor Programs in Illinois
Test Optional Colleges in Illinois
SAT Score Wise Best Colleges
ACT Score Wise Best Colleges
Rolling Admissions Colleges in Illinois