Palatine, Illinois · Public · 2-year · Large suburb
Overview
William Rainey Harper College is a public two-year institution based in Palatine, Illinois. Its campus is in a large suburban area. It enrolled 13,988 students in fall 2024.
William Rainey Harper College offers certificates and associate degrees across 90 programs. Its largest programs by number of graduates are Liberal Arts and Sciences, Biological and Physical Sciences, and Child Care Provider/Assistant. It awarded 4,768 degrees and certificates in 2024-25. 17 of its programs can be completed entirely online.
The school has an open admission policy. 77% of full-time first-year students return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio is 21 to 1.
Key figures
Open
Admission policy
13,988
Students enrolled
77%
First-year retention
4,768
Degrees and certificates awarded, 2024-25
90
Programs and majors
21:1
Student-to-faculty ratio
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Delivery modes
CampusOnlineHybrid
Program levels
CertificateAssociate
Programs and majors offered 90
Graduate counts are degrees and certificates awarded in each program between July 2024 and June 2025. Largest fields are listed first.
Retention is for students who started in fall 2023 and returned in fall 2024.
First-year retention, full-time students
77%
First-year retention, part-time students
58%
Student-to-faculty ratio
21:1
Degrees and certificates awarded
Awards conferred between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Associate degrees
1,955
Certificates under 1 year
1,845
Certificates of 1 to 2 years
968
Enrollment
Students, fall 2024
13,988
Undergraduates, fall 2024
13,988
Full-time, fall 2024
29%
Students over the full 2024-25 year
23,591
Full-time, 2024-25
20%
Size category
10,000 to 19,999 students
Student body
Share of all students enrolled during 2024-25. Small groups can round to zero and are not listed.
Women
56%
Men
44%
White
42%
Hispanic or Latino
31%
Black or African American
4%
Asian
15%
Two or more races
5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2%
International (U.S. nonresident)
1%
Race or ethnicity unknown
1%
Online and flexible learning
Distance education in 2024-25.
Programs that can be completed fully online
17
Programs with a fully online option
4
Online undergraduate programs
Yes
Students studying fully online
17%
Students taking some online courses
28%
Weekend or evening classes
Yes
Campus and services
Setting
Large suburb
Academic calendar
Semester
Carnegie classification
Associate's Colleges: High Transfer-High Nontraditional
Athletic association
NJCAA
President
Dr. Avis Proctor
Services and opportunities
Study abroad, Undergraduate research, Teacher certification, Academic and career counseling, Student employment services, Job placement for graduates, On-campus day care, Accepts AP credit, Credit for life experience
For veterans and service members
Credit for military training, Dedicated veterans contact, Student veteran organization