City Colleges Launches Forward, Together: City Colleges of Chicago’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan

On Thursday, March 5, City Colleges of Chicago launched Forward, Together: City Colleges of Chicago's 2026-2030 Strategic Plan.

This plan is not the start of something new, but the continuation of the work the City Colleges community has advanced together over the past five years-and the progress already happening.

In the past two weeks, City Colleges has been recognized of its role as a go-to workforce partner for the Chicago region. From announcing a transformative industry partnership with advanced manufacturing firm DMG MORI to earning the $5 million Chicago Talent Challenge prize for our HealthCatalyst collaboration with Cook County Health, recent accomplishments demonstrate what is possible when we align education, workforce, and community impact around a shared vision. And last month, we opened the doors to the first of seven student markets, part of the Food Security for Life initiative to eliminate hunger among City Colleges students.

This plan also builds upon the work over the last several years, during which enrollment has rebounded to exceed pre-pandemic levels, we set and made progress towards our 55 for All student outcome goal, built an unprecedented partnership with the Chicago Public Schools through the Chicago Roadmap and are growing it to include transfer partners, expanded programs in high-demand fields from engineering to healthcare, and delivered increases in student supports from wellness to food to One Million Degrees, and so much more.

Developed with insights from faculty, staff, students, and partners, our new strategic plan is rooted in data, shaped by lived experiences, and aligned with our unwavering commitment to equity and excellence. Forward, Together outlines a theory of change, strategic levers and transformational goals that reflect who we are and who we aspire to become.

In the years ahead, we will focus on key priorities, such as boosting course success, providing unparalleled student supports, further expanding high-demand programs, scaling work-based learning, improving transfer outcomes, deploying ethical AI and data informed continuous improvement, and deepening collaboration with key strategic partners and funders to deliver equitable student outcomes and long-term economic prosperity.

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