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Palatine , IL
Harper College is a comprehensive community college located in Palatine, Illinois. Established in 1967, the college offers a wide range of programs and courses designed to meet the needs of both traditional and non-traditional students. With a commitment to academic excellence, Harper College provides students with a supportive learning environment and numerous resources to ensure their success.
The college offers over 50 career programs and more than 100 transfer programs, allowing students to pursue various educational pathways. These programs cover diverse fields such as business, healthcare, engineering, arts, and sciences. The faculty at Harper College are highly experienced and dedicated to providing quality education, while the state-of-the-art facilities and modern technology enhance the learning experience.
Harper College understands the importance of affordability for students, and as such, the college offers various financial aid options, including scholarships, grants, and loans. The college boasts a vibrant campus life, with numerous student clubs, organizations, and athletics teams. Additionally, Harper College is committed to community engagement through partnerships with local businesses and organizations, providing opportunities for internships, job placements, and community service for its students.
William Rainey Harper College is a public two-year college with graduate programs located in Palatine, IL and set in a suburban environment. This school uses a semester-based calendar. The freshman retention rate at William Rainey Harper College is 77%.
Learn more about what William Rainey Harper College has to offer based on the most recent data this institution has reported.
Quick Facts
13,987
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
21:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
Admissions
You need to find out as much as you can about the entrance requirements of the school in order to improve your chances of being accepted. Check out some important information about admission at William Rainey Harper College.
As far as admission difficulty is considered, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is relatively noncompetitive.
Test Scores
Out of the number of applicants who submitted test scores, the percentage of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students who submitted SAT scores was 46% and ACT scores 1%. 2.63% of the first-year students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 14.16% between 1,200 and 1,399, 39.02% between 1,000 and 1,199, 34.03% of the students between 800 and 999, and 10.16% of the students between 600 and 799. The percent of freshmen who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 11.76, 29.41 between 24-29, 41.18 in the range between 18-23, and 17.65 between 12-17.
The latest reported average GPA of the enrolled students was 2.99.
Retention Rate
What is the freshman retention rate? The freshman retention rate is the percentage of full-time students who entered the institution as freshmen in the previous academic year and returned for the fall term of the current academic year. This piece of data is important as it can reveal to the prospective students how many freshmen liked the school enough to return to it as sophomores.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for William Rainey Harper College was 77%, reflecting the superb quality of the educational programs at this institution.
Student Body
It is always challenging to figure out which school is best for you. You can better comprehend the culture and life of the school by getting to know more about the student body.
Main Student Body
In 2025, the school had an enrollment of 13,987 students.
That year, the institution had 0.02% of out-of-state students. There was a total of 13,987 students working towards bachelor's degrees, including 169 international students. The school reported to have a total of 455 transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 2,024 male and 2,028 female full-time students in 2025, which speaks volumes for gender equality at this institution.
Student Population Diversity
Higer Education is committed to focusing on the diversity of its student body and improving students' sense of inclusion and belonging. In a diverse learning space, you will be exposed to people from different backgrounds, which promotes the feeling of inclusion and acceptance. Discover more about the many ethnic communities that go to this school.
This school had 1,187 Asian students and 450 Afro-American students in 2025. 3,113 undergrads at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 397 identified with more than one race. The school also had 84 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 9 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 52 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Before you submit an application to any college or university, you should take into account the financial component. Here are some details you should know about the expenses at William Rainey Harper College that the majority of students face.
Tuition and Fees
Here are some facts that can be useful if you were curious about William Rainey Harper College estimated tuition fees.
Tuition fees for area resident were $3,396, as reported by public county or municipal institutions. For out-of-state students, tuition fees amounted to $11,448. Tuition costs at William Rainey Harper College for international students amounted to $11,448. Fees per academic year required of full-time students reached $642 in 2025.
| Category | Tuition | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $11,448 | $642 | $12,090 |
| In-State | $9,636 | $642 | $10,278 |
Books and Supplies
Another important financial factor to consider is the estimated cost of books and supplies for a college or university. The estimated expense of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is $1,100.
Boarding
Besides tuition, another cost to consider is the price of housing in the dorms and eating at the school cafeteria. What do schools typically charge for accommodation and meals?
In 2025, room and board cost at William Rainey Harper College amounted to $14,656 a year.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 9,636 |
| Room and Board | $ 14,656 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,100 |
| Total Expense | $ 25,392 |
Financial Aid
Grants, loans, scholarships, work-study programs: these are all types of financial aid for students. If you want to find out more about need-based and non-need-based aid at William Rainey Harper College, here are some recent data you should take into consideration.
According to the most recent data, 805 freshmen were awarded financial aid. Students of this school received an average of $7,179 in financial help.
Need-based
Financial aid that a student can receive if they are determined to have financial need and meet other eligibility requirements is known as need-based aid.
1,362 students obtained some form of need-based financial aid. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at William Rainey Harper College is available to international students. The overall number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need was found to be 2,099. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution added up to $11,668,198, and state $5,316,431. The students of William Rainey Harper College received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $3,690,808, and external in the amount of $158,389.
$2,043
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Any financial aid given to a student who does not meet the requirements for need-based aid is considered non-need-based aid. Most students get non-need-based financial aid as Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the TEACH Grant.
629 students, including freshmen, received institutional non-need-based financial aid at this school in 2025. Institutional help in the form of non-need-based scholarships or grants was given to 285 full-time freshmen.
Majors
Faculty
21:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
The student-to-faculty ratio can tell you a lot about the teaching resources a school provides for its students.
According to the most recent data, the student-faculty ratio at William Rainey Harper College was 21:1: that means 21 students per one teacher. The faculty of this school consists of 637 members, according to the most recent data reported. This number included 307 men and 330 women. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school speaks volumes for gender equality at William Rainey Harper College.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
It is not all about learning and grades at William Rainey Harper College: campus life is a crucial component of your educational experience. Check out some information about social life at William Rainey Harper College.
Its campus is 200 acres in size.
Student Organizations
Student organizations are run by students of an institution, and its membership usually consists exclusively of current students and/or alumni.
This school has 54 open-membership student organizations you can participate in. The student organization that is most favored by students is Phi Theta Kappa, followed by Nursing Club and Student Senate. Other popular organizations among the students at William Rainey Harper College are Program Board and Student Radio Station.
For students with a talent for acting, there is a drama club. Interested in media and communication? William Rainey Harper College publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
At William Rainey Harper College, there are many amenities required for a comfortable and safe life on campus.
24/7 emergency phone and alarm devices are available. There is a security patrol available 24/7. The after-hours transportation/escort service is available.
There is a health clinic with personal/psychological counseling. In addition, other services like Legal Services and Women's Center are available to the students of William Rainey Harper College.
All in all, campus life at William Rainey Harper College is rich and vibrant and provides all you need for a comfortable stay.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at William Rainey Harper College.
Career Counselling
At William Rainey Harper College, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. The career center offers resume preparation and resume referral to employers. There is campus employer recruitment for all the students.
FAQ
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William Rainey Harper College is located in Palatine, IL.
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William Rainey Harper College offers need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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According to the latest information, the freshman retention rate for William Rainey Harper College is 77%.
Contact Information
William Rainey Harper College
1200 West Algonquin Road
Palatine , IL
60067-7398
847 925-6000
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
