William Rainey Harper College
A good fit for families looking for lower cost and in-state Illinois residents. no major red flags in the data. a public school with 9,313 students.
About This School
William Rainey Harper College is a public institution located in Palatine, Illinois with approximately 9,313 undergraduate students enrolled. The average net price after financial aid is $11,607 per year. The graduation rate is 47%, and the typical graduate earns $42,600 within 10 years of enrollment.
William Rainey Harper College is a public community college in Palatine, Illinois. It was established by referendum in 1965 and opened in September 1967. It is named for William Rainey Harper, a pioneer in the junior college movement in the United States and the first president of the University of Chicago.
This is a strong option for cost-conscious students in the Chicago suburbs — at just $6,186/year average net price and a median debt of only $6,230 at graduation, it's one of the most affordable paths to a two-year degree or transfer opportunity you'll find. The trade-off worth acknowledging is that median earnings of $42,600 a decade out reflect the reality that many graduates either transfer to four-year schools (where future earnings depend on where they land) or enter fields that aren't high-paying. Worth considering if you have a clear transfer plan or career pathway in mind — without that focus, the value proposition gets murkier.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 13% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
William Rainey Harper College graduates earn most above the national rate in Business Administration, Management and Operations ($78,284 vs $48,733 nationally).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 1,093 | $50,088 | $44,125 | +$5,963 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 440 | $54,379 | $50,181 | +$4,198 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 82 | $82,445 | $80,813 | +$1,632 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 55 | $80,912 | $65,389 | +$15,523 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 47 | $78,284 | $48,733 | +$29,551 |
| Engineering, General | 44 | $75,970 | $72,916 | +$3,054 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 26 | $46,359 | $37,073 | +$9,286 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 24 | $69,701 | $61,982 | +$7,719 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 17 | $50,553 | $46,706 | +$3,847 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing an associate's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Strong return. Graduates earn well above their debt load.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (9,313 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
William Rainey Harper College is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does William Rainey Harper College cost?
The average net price at William Rainey Harper College is about $11,607 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at William Rainey Harper College?
William Rainey Harper College has a graduation rate of 47%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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