Student perks in Chicago area
Free and discounted things for students around Chicago area, from transit passes to museums. Checked Mon, September 28, 2026; check each source before you go.
Pace Campus Connection$175 a semester
Unlimited Pace suburban bus rides for a semester, loaded on a Ventra card with a college entitlement. Cheaper later in the term.
Source on pacebus.com ↗Art Institute free eveningsFree
Illinois residents get in free on Third Thursdays and Free Summer Thursdays, 5 to 8 p.m.
Source on artic.edu ↗Student Ventra fare75¢ a ride
K–12 students ages 7 to 20 pay 75¢ a ride on CTA and Pace with a Student Ventra card.
Source on ventrachicago.com ↗Colleges in the area
- Adler University
- Ambria College of Nursing
- American Islamic College
- Aurora University
- Benedictine University
- Bexley Hall Seabury Western Theological Seminary Federation, Inc.
- CAAN Academy of Nursing
- Calumet College of Saint Joseph
- Catholic Theological Union at Chicago
- Chamberlain University-Illinois
- Chicago State University
- Chicago Theological Seminary
- City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
- City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College
- City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College
- City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College
- City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College
- City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College
- City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College
- College of Court Reporting Inc
- College of DuPage
- College of Lake County
- Columbia College Chicago
- Concordia University-Chicago
- DePaul University
- DeVry University-Illinois
- Dominican University
- East-West University
- Elgin Community College
- Elmhurst University
- Erikson Institute
- Fox College
- Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
- Generations College
- Governors State University
- Hebrew Theological College
- Illinois College of Optometry
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Indiana University-Northwest
- Institute for Clinical Social Work
- Joliet Junior College
- Judson University
- Kishwaukee College
- Lake Forest College
- Lake Forest Graduate School of Management
- Lewis University
- Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose Park
- Loyola University Chicago
- Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
- McCormick Theological Seminary
- McHenry County College
- Meadville Theological School of Lombard College
- Midwest College of Oriental Medicine-Skokie
- Midwestern Career College
- Midwestern University-Downers Grove
- Moody Bible Institute
- Moraine Valley Community College
- Morton College
- National Louis University
- National University of Health Sciences
- North Central College
- North Park University
- Northeastern Illinois University
- Northern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Northern Illinois University
- Northwestern College
- Northwestern University
- Oakton College
- Pacific College of Health and Science
- Prairie State College
- Purdue University Northwest
- Roosevelt University
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
- Rush University
- Saint Xavier University
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- South Suburban College
- Spertus College
- St. Augustine College
- Stellar Career College-Crown Point
And 17 more.
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