William Rainey Harper College
Palatine, Illinois · Also known as Harper College · Website
$48,071
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$48,071
median earnings, 10 years after starting
William Rainey Harper College is a public 2-year college in Palatine, Illinois with 9,313 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $11,607 a year (tuition and fees $3,894 in-state, $11,874 out-of-state). 48% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $48,071 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $10,184 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$11,607
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$3,894
Out-of-state $11,874
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
48%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$10,184
About $108 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$48,071
Rank 1,649 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $11,607
- Tuition in-state
- $3,894
- Tuition out-of-state
- $11,874
- Cost of attendance
- $19,288
- Students with a need-based grant
- 20%
- Students with federal loans
- 2.0%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $9,446
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $10,501
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $13,426
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,866
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $18,676
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $3,228 in 2015-16 to $3,894 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 9,313
- Part-time students
- 58%
- Women
- 56%
- Students per teacher
- 21
- Completion rate
- 48%
- Retention rate
- 77%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 83
- Endowment
- $42.0M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving, Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,649 of 5,094 US colleges and 64 of 189 in Illinois (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | IL median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $11,607 | $15,156 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $3,894 | $13,291 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 77% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 48% | 59% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 77% | 72% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $10,184 | $10,297 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $40,035 | $34,234 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $48,071 | $39,544 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 47% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 66% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
83 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 1,093 | $8,920 | $27,619 | $50,088 | $44,125 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCertificate | Certificate | 918 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,906 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 589 | $6,258 | $36,528 | $69,119 | $56,073 |
| Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's | Associate's | 440 | $6,375 | $27,081 | $54,379 | $50,181 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 84 | Withheld | $31,747 | $45,358 | $44,589 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 82 | $11,786 | $70,929 | $82,445 | $80,813 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 80 | Withheld | $36,111 | $64,750 | $34,272 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 76 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,702 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 55 | $14,459 | $65,443 | $80,912 | $65,389 |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 51 | Withheld | Withheld | $70,953 | $32,681 |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/TechniciansOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 47 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,000 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 47 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,135 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 47 | Withheld | $59,982 | $78,284 | $48,733 |
| Engineering, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 44 | Withheld | Withheld | $75,970 | $72,916 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 44 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,675 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 35 | Withheld | $64,113 | $87,267 | $57,584 |
| Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 34 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $43,027 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Certificate | Certificate | 33 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,148 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,359 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $61,907 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $52,615 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 26 | Withheld | $31,454 | $46,359 | $37,073 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | Withheld | $56,767 | $69,701 | $61,982 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,440 |
| Design and Applied ArtsCertificate | Certificate | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,116 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Palatine and Illinois on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Illinois
- Homes: Homes for sale in Illinois
Questions and answers
How much does William Rainey Harper College cost?
$11,607 a year is the average net price at William Rainey Harper College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $3,894 for in-state students and $11,874 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $19,288. Families earning under $30,000 pay $9,446 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at William Rainey Harper College?
William Rainey Harper College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do William Rainey Harper College graduates earn?
$48,071 a year is the median pay of former William Rainey Harper College students who work, 10 years after they started ($40,035 after 6 years). That ranks 1,649 of 5,094 US colleges and 64 of 189 in Illinois. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $70,929.
How much student debt do William Rainey Harper College graduates have?
$10,184 is the median federal student loan debt of William Rainey Harper College graduates, about $108 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 2.0% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at William Rainey Harper College?
48% of first-time, full-time students at William Rainey Harper College finish within 3 years. 77% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at William Rainey Harper College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (1,093 associate's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (918 certificate graduates), Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (589 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 83 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.