William Rainey Harper College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Palatine, Illinois. It enrolls 9,313 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
68/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes66
Value57
Affordability29
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, William Rainey Harper College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $11,607 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$3,894
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$11,874
Room & Board (off-campus)
$14,251
Books & Supplies
$1,100
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$12,139
Total Cost of Attendance
$19,288
Application fee: $25 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$9,446
$30,001 – $48,000
$10,501
$48,001 – $75,000
$13,426
$75,001 – $110,000
$16,866
Over $110,000
$18,676
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,75010%percentile
$2,75125%percentile
$10,184Medianpercentile
$10,50075%percentile
$19,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $6,792
↓ $3,392
No Pell $5,500
↓ $4,684
Dependent students $5,500
↓ $4,684
Independent students $9,500
↓ $684
Female students $7,150
↓ $3,034
Male students $5,500
↓ $4,684
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($10,184), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
21% of students who start here finish within six years, and 77% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
21%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
77%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $48,071 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$48,071
Earning > $25K
71%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$39,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$46,200
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$39,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$45,300
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$48,100
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $6,500, about 14% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
19.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 76% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 9,313 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 47% are the first in their family to go to college, and 58% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.
Total Enrolled
9,313
Part-Time
58%
First-Generation
47%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 41.6%3,878
Hispanic 33.4%3,113
Asian 12.7%1,183
Other 5.3%496
Black 4.8%448
International 1.8%169
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at William Rainey Harper College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
William Rainey Harper College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
51 distinct programs across
17 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 20 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
20:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,858
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$40M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$100,467
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
196 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
79
40%
$123,864
Associate Professors
52
27%
$101,751
Assistant Professors
35
18%
$78,760
Instructors
30
15%
$61,952
Pros & Cons of William Rainey Harper College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where William Rainey Harper College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, William Rainey Harper College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about William Rainey Harper College
The questions families ask most about William Rainey Harper College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is William Rainey Harper College hard to get into?
Not especially. William Rainey Harper College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at William Rainey Harper College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does William Rainey Harper College cost?
Budget around $11,607 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is William Rainey Harper College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $48,071 a year against a net price of $11,607, about 4.1 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is William Rainey Harper College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do William Rainey Harper College graduates earn?
About $48,071 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is William Rainey Harper College accredited?
Yes. William Rainey Harper College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend William Rainey Harper College?
9,313 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at William Rainey Harper College?
21% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is William Rainey Harper College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is William Rainey Harper College located?
William Rainey Harper College is located in Palatine, Illinois.
What programs does William Rainey Harper College offer?
51 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at William Rainey Harper College?
20 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Illinois
Other colleges in Illinois share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Liberal Arts
Biological and Physical Sciences
Nursing
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