William Rainey Harper College: Enrollment, Tuition and Outcomes Data

About

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.

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS

Overall completion

48%

Overall completion

48%

Full-time retention

77%

Full-time retention

77%

Pell equity

7.3pp gap

Pell recipients

43%256 of 596

Non-Pell (all)

50%515 of 1023

Subsidized loan, no Pell

44%8 of 18

No Federal Aid

50%507 of 1005

Non-Pell students graduate at a 7.3-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 80 Title IV programs, 9 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 71 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs

80

Passing

9

11.3% of portfolio

Failing (GE)

0

0.0% of portfolio

Fail rate

0.0%

-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

80programs

Passing9 · 11.2%
No Data71 · 88.8%
Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical

0

Severe

0

Recoverable

0

At Risk

0

Watch

0

Safe

9

No data

71

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

9

Program

Typical

Benchmark

EP gap

Health and Medical Administrative Services

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

$46,359

$34,808

Same-State HS Median

+33.2%

+$11,551

Health and Medical Administrative Services

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

+33.2%

$46,359 vs $34,808

Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities

Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities

$50,088

$34,808

Same-State HS Median

+43.9%

+$15,280

Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities

Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities

+43.9%

$50,088 vs $34,808

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Associate Degree · Security And Protective Services

$50,553

$34,808

Same-State HS Median

+45.2%

+$15,745

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Associate Degree · Security And Protective Services

+45.2%

$50,553 vs $34,808

Biological and Physical Sciences

Associate Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

$54,379

$34,808

Same-State HS Median

+56.2%

+$19,571

Biological and Physical Sciences

Associate Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

+56.2%

$54,379 vs $34,808

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

$69,701

$34,808

Same-State HS Median

+100.2%

+$34,893

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

+100.2%

$69,701 vs $34,808

Engineering General

Associate Degree · Engineering

$75,970

$34,808

Same-State HS Median

+118.3%

+$41,162

Engineering General

Associate Degree · Engineering

+118.3%

$75,970 vs $34,808

Business Administration Management and Operations

Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

$78,284

$34,808

Same-State HS Median

+124.9%

+$43,476

Business Administration Management and Operations

Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

+124.9%

$78,284 vs $34,808

Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

$80,912

$34,808

Same-State HS Median

+132.5%

+$46,104

Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

+132.5%

$80,912 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

6

Program

Median debt

Median earnings

Debt burden

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

$18,500

$69,701

27%

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

27%

$18,500 debt · $69,701 earn

Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

$15,875

$80,912

20%

Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

20%

$15,875 debt · $80,912 earn

Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities

Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities

$8,875

$50,088

18%

Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities

Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities

18%

$8,875 debt · $50,088 earn

Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

$11,572

$82,445

14%

Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

14%

$11,572 debt · $82,445 earn

Biological and Physical Sciences

Associate Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

$6,545

$54,379

12%

Biological and Physical Sciences

Associate Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

12%

$6,545 debt · $54,379 earn

Practical Nursing Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants

Undergraduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

$7,298

$69,119

11%

Practical Nursing Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants

Undergraduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

11%

$7,298 debt · $69,119 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation

Accredited since 2020Next review Apr 2027

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1971Next review Aug 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 12

Action history · 14

Nov 2025Renewal of Accreditation
American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PTA) - Programs for the physical therapist assistant
Sep 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (PNUR) - Practical nursing programs
Dec 2023Renewal of Accreditation
Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
Feb 2023Renewal of Accreditation
American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
Sep 2022Renewal of Accreditation
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (PNUR) - Practical nursing programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays

$0–30k$9,446

$0–30k

$9,446

$30–48k$10,501

$30–48k

$10,501

$48–75k$13,426

$48–75k

$13,426

$75–110k$16,866

$75–110k

$16,866

$110k+$18,676

$110k+

$18,676

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price

$11,607

+$6,003vs Community College median $5,605

Federal loans

2.0%

In-state tuition

$3,894

Out-of-state

$11,874

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 3,875 students received $17.4M in Pell grants, alongside $2.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients

3,875

AY 2024–25

Pell disbursed

$17.4M

$17,424,655 total

Direct Loans

$2.0M

550 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k

’20

3k

’21

3k

’22

3k

’23

4k

’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$870K

262 loan awards

Unsubsidized · UG$1.1M

283 loan awards

Parent PLUS$35K

5 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 679 borrowers who entered repayment, 14 (2.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate

2.0%

-0.3pp vs 2.3% national

Borrowers in repayment

679

Defaulted

14

Measurement window

3 years

Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016

8.4%-0.9

2017

7.3%-1.9

2018

7.8%+0.8

2019

2.0%-0.3

2020*

0.0%

This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at William Rainey Harper College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS

Distinct CIP programs90

UndergraduateOffered

GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,935 total completions

01Liberal Arts

95749.5%

01Liberal Arts

95749.5%

02Multi/Interdisciplinary

41321.3%

02Multi/Interdisciplinary

41321.3%

03Health Professions

20410.5%

03Health Professions

20410.5%

04Business

1115.7%

04Business

1115.7%

05Engineering

904.7%

05Engineering

904.7%

06Security/Protective

482.5%

06Security/Protective

482.5%

07Visual/Performing Arts

361.9%

07Visual/Performing Arts

361.9%

08Family/Consumer Sci

361.9%

08Family/Consumer Sci

361.9%

09Computer Sciences

271.4%

09Computer Sciences

271.4%

10Engineering Tech

130.7%

10Engineering Tech

130.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS

Fall total

13,988

12-mo unduplicated

23,591

Undergraduate

23,591

Graduate

0

Gender split

Men

44%10,421

Women

56%13,170

Race / ethnicity composition

White

41.6%

Hispanic

33.4%

Asian

12.7%

Black

4.8%

Two or more

4.3%

Non-resident

1.8%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander

0.9%

Unknown

0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native

0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA

Athletes

212

142 M · 70 W

Women athletes

33.0%

Athletic aid

$302K

Total student aid

Budget

$1.2M

Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid

$158K

$145K

Recruiting expense

$0

Head-coach salaries

$8K

$7K

Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 8

Sport

Men

Women

Expenses

Soccer

32

20

$179,158

Soccer

32 M · 20 W

$179K

Track and Field (Outdoor)

35

15

$102,804

Track and Field (Outdoor)

35 M · 15 W

$103K

Baseball

35

—

$122,397

Baseball

35 M · —

$122K

Basketball

14

12

$151,922

Basketball

14 M · 12 W

$152K

Wrestling

26

—

$99,784

Wrestling

26 M · —

$100K

Cross Country

11

7

$38,316

Cross Country

11 M · 7 W

$38K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students

0.08

1 offenses · 13,069 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.161 yr ago0.08Latest

Offenses · 3-yr

3

Last three years

VAWA · 3-yr

4

DV, dating, stalking

Hate crimes · 3-yr

0

Res-hall fires · 3-yr

0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary

1

By location

1total

On campus1

VAWA offenses

0

Domestic violence

0

Dating violence

3

Stalking

3 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals

Weapons00

Drugs01

Liquor10

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Data quality: 3 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS

Student-to-faculty

21.0:1

Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)

202

William Rainey Harper College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions William Rainey Harper College selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS

This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

					Carnegie
SubjectWilliam Rainey Harper College	48%	—	13,988	$11,607	Community College
College of DuPage	—	—	26,224	$7,401	Community College
College of Lake County	—	—	12,530	$7,607	Community College
Elgin Community College	—	—	10,251	$6,026	Community College
Joliet Junior College	—	—	14,414	$1,672	Community College
Moraine Valley Community College	—	—	11,296	$2,829	Community College
Oakton College	—	—	8,329	$5,183	Community College
Triton College	—	—	9,842	$4,138	Community College
Peer group median	48%	—	11,913	$5,605

Institutions like William Rainey Harper College

Explore the federal data for institutions in William Rainey Harper College's comparison group.

IPEDS

William Rainey Harper College Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office

Office of Institutional Research

Email

oir [at] harpercollege.edu

Phone

847.925.6000

Address

1200 West Algonquin Road, Palatine, IL 60067

The Office of Institutional Research compiles data annually to provide a snapshot of Harper College across various areas.

Visit IR office page

Team

4 members

Darlene Schlenbecker
Vice President of Planning, Research and Institutional Effectiveness
Anna Strati
Director of Institutional Research and Analytics
Dr. Anna Strati
Director of Institutional Research and Analytics
Deann Surdo
Director of Outcomes Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness

Reports & documents (4)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Frequently asked questions about William Rainey Harper College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about William Rainey Harper College.

What is the graduation rate at William Rainey Harper College?

William Rainey Harper College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 48% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend William Rainey Harper College?

William Rainey Harper College reports a total enrollment of 13,988 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at William Rainey Harper College?

The average net price at William Rainey Harper College is $11,607 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is William Rainey Harper College located?

William Rainey Harper College is located in Palatine, Illinois 60067-7398.

Who runs Institutional Research at William Rainey Harper College?

William Rainey Harper College's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)

Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.

National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education

College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)

Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.

U.S. Department of Education

FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release

Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

U.S. Department of Education

DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed

Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education

Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026

Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.

U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid

Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026

Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.

U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid

Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates

Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.

U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid

Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25

Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education

Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024

Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education

Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

William Rainey Harper College

Pell equity

Pass / fail distribution

Severity spectrum

Earnings premium gap

Debt vs earnings

Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation

Higher Learning Commission

Programmatic accreditations · 12

Action history · 14

Net price by family income

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Default rate vs national, by cohort

Top program families by completions

Gender split

Race / ethnicity composition

Men vs women · spending splits

Sport-by-sport · 8

3-year trend

Criminal offenses by type

By location

VAWA offenses

Hate crimes by bias

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

Residence-hall fires

College of DuPage

College of Lake County

Elgin Community College

Joliet Junior College

Moraine Valley Community College

Oakton College

Triton College

What is the graduation rate at William Rainey Harper College?

How many students attend William Rainey Harper College?

What is the average net price at William Rainey Harper College?

Where is William Rainey Harper College located?

Who runs Institutional Research at William Rainey Harper College?

Have a question this page can’t answer?