Harper College
Harper College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Harper College Featured Rankings
- #6 Best Online Associate Degree Programs in Illinois
- #6 Online Associate in Finance
- #6 Online Associate in Entrepreneurship
- #7 Online Associate in Business Management
- #7 Online Associate in Small Business Management
- #7 Online Associate in Human Resources
- #12 Fastest Online Associate's of Finance
- #15 Online Associate in Marketing
- #16 Online Associate in Health Information Technology
- #16 Best Community Colleges in Illinois 2026
- #19 Online Associate in Accounting
About Harper College
According to Wikipedia, 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.
Harper College's Online Degrees
Certificate in Web Design & Interactive Media Certificate
- Required Credits: 27
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Accounting Bookkeeper/Clerk
- Required Credits: 8
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Office Assistant
- Required Credits: 8
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Entrepreneurial Maker
- Required Credits: 16
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Administrative Assistant
- Required Credits: 17
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Emarketing
- Required Credits: 18
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Retail Merchandising
- Required Credits: 18
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Tax Accounting Assistant Certificate
- Required Credits: 18
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Advanced Accounting Bookkeeper/Clerk
- Required Credits: 20
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Business Management
- Required Credits: 21
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Human Resources Management
- Required Credits: 21
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Insurance Certificate
- Required Credits: 21
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Financial Management
- Required Credits: 22
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Accounting Assistant
- Required Credits: 29
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Professional Accounting-Cpa Preparation
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
AAS in Emarketing
- Required Credits: 61
- Completion Time: 2 Years
- Format: Fully online
AAS in Entrepreneurship
- Required Credits: 61
- Completion Time: 2 Years
- Format: Fully online
AAS in Financial Management
- Required Credits: 61
- Completion Time: 2 Years
- Format: Fully online
AAS in Human Resources Management
- Required Credits: 61
- Completion Time: 2 Years
- Format: Fully online
AAS in Insurance
- Required Credits: 61
- Completion Time: 2 Years
- Format: Fully online
AAS in Management
- Required Credits: 61
- Completion Time: 2 Years
- Format: Fully online
AAS in Accounting
- Required Credits: 62
- Completion Time: 2 Years
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Drone Technology And Applications
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Network Administration
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Network Support Technician
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in It Support Technician
- Required Credits: 18
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Web Development
- Required Credits: 27
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Infant/Toddler Teacher Assistant
- Required Credits: 16
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Assistant Teacher
- Required Credits: 18
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Infant/Toddler Teacher
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Teacher Certificate
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
AA in Associate In Arts Online Transfer Degree
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: 1.5-2 Years
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Geographic Information Systems
- Required Credits: 18
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Social Commerce And Sales Certificate
- Required Credits: 18
- Completion Time: 1 Year or less
- Format: Fully online
AAS in Social Commerce And Sales
- Required Credits: 61
- Completion Time: 2 Years
- Format: Fully online
AAS in Health Information Technology
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: 2 Years
- Format: Fully online
Harper College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| 77% | 52% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Harper College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $4,038 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $8,406 |
| 30K - 48K | $8,403 |
| 48K - 75K | $10,451 |
| 75K - 110K | $14,382 |
| 110K+ | $15,649 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Harper College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Harper College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $54,357 a year, and 89% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Harper College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 22,904 | 22,904 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Harper College?
Harper College is located at 1200 W Algonquin Rd, Palatine, IL 60067-7398.
How Safe is Harper College?
Relative to its enrollment, Harper College has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Palatine has a violent crime rate of 0.07% and a property crime rate of 0.94%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Harper College Known For?
Harper College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
Harper College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Harper College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Harper College ranks #461 in the U.S. and #1588 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesHarper College ranks #827 in the U.S. and #2014 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesHarper College ranks #1550 in the U.S. and #6372 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesHarper College ranks #1594 in the U.S. and #8022 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesHarper College ranks #1612 in the U.S. and #5780 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesHarper College ranks #1643 in the U.S. and #3183 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesHarper College ranks #1763 in the U.S. and #7037 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesHarper College ranks #1867 in the U.S. and #6413 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesHarper College ranks #3093 in the U.S. and #11429 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWho Are Harper College's Most Influential Alumni?
Harper College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Sociology, Social Work, and Criminal Justice. Here are some of Harper College's most famous alumni:
