William Rainey Harper College
- Graduation Rate
- 47% D+
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $48,071 B-
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $11,607 B-
- 32% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 9,313
Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 25.9× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $25.9 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $25.9 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,158,326.
What The Data Says
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A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Every $1 invested returns $25.9 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why William Rainey Harper College Matters
William Rainey Harper College is a public college in Palatine, IL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 9,313
- Setting
- Suburban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Mechanic & Repair Tech
Why students choose William Rainey Harper College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $11,607 a year after grants and scholarships — 32% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $48,071 ten years after enrolling — 18% above the typical college, against $10,184 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Strong cross-class social capital — an economic-connectedness score of 1.55 (Opportunity Insights).
See mobility →Overview
Over 9,300 students choose William Rainey Harper College for its affordable education, with a net price of just $11,607. This makes it a viable option for many seeking to minimize their college expenses while pursuing their academic goals.
Data from Opportunity Insights suggests that while graduation rates stand at 47%, the potential for upward mobility remains a crucial consideration. Graduates earn an average of $48,071 within ten years of completing their studies. This indicates that those who earn their degrees can achieve a comfortable living, even if the path to graduation may be challenging for some.
Students who thrive at Harper College often gravitate towards programs in Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, and Computer Science & IT. With a median debt of $10,184, this institution attracts individuals looking for practical skills that lead directly to employment. The college supports a diverse student body, including a 20% enrollment of Pell Grant recipients, making it accessible for many.
Can I Get In?
How selective William Rainey Harper College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into William Rainey Harper College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
William Rainey Harper College, located in Palatine, Illinois, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 47%.
- Retention Rate
- 77%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 36%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $11,424
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 18:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.69
- First-Gen Students
- 47%
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend William Rainey Harper College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at William Rainey Harper College is $11,874, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $11,607. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,446 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,184 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $3,894
- Out-of-State
- $11,874
- Avg Net Price
- $11,607
- Median Debt
- $10,184
- Pell Grant Rate
- 20%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 2%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $9,446
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $10,501
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $13,426
- Family Income $110K+
- $18,676
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at William Rainey Harper College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is William Rainey Harper College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of William Rainey Harper College earn a median of $48,071, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $40,035
- 8 Years
- $44,949
- 10 Years
- $48,071
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.21x
- Earning > $25K
- 57%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (284)
- 19%
- 100% (284)
- 19%
- 100% (284)
- 19%
- 100% (284)
- 19%
How William Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
College ROI Calculator
Is William Rainey Harper College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, William Rainey Harper College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $11,607/year ($46,428 total). Graduates earn $48,071 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,204,754 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,158,326 (25.9× your investment). The median debt is $10,184, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 47% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $46,428
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,204,754
- Net Return
- $1,158,326
- ROI Multiple
- 25.9×
- Cost Per Year
- $11,607
- Median Debt
- $10,184
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 47%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $514,443
- Investment Income
- $1,421
Top Programs
The fields William Rainey Harper College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Humanities 36%
- Health Professions 23% $73,559 early-career
- Business & Marketing 9%
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 3%
- Precision Production 3%
- Computer Science & IT 3%
- Engineering 2%
- Criminal Justice 2%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for William Rainey Harper College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into William Rainey Harper College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
William Rainey Harper College, located in Palatine, Illinois, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 47%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend William Rainey Harper College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at William Rainey Harper College is $11,874, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $11,607. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,446 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,184 in federal student loans.
Is William Rainey Harper College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of William Rainey Harper College earn a median of $48,071, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
How Connected Is William Rainey Harper College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at William Rainey Harper College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.55, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to William Rainey Harper College.
- Chabot CollegeHayward, CA · Close peer44% grad $48,143 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate
- Cuesta CollegeSan Luis Obispo, CA · Close peer46% grad $46,047 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukee, WI · Close peer45% grad $46,894 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny, IA · Close peer37% grad $41,018 earnWhy: similar net price
- College of Lake CountyGrayslake, IL · Close peer38% grad $43,424 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton, WI · Close peer63% grad $45,684 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is William Rainey Harper College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at William Rainey Harper College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.55, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note