Harper vs. Northwestern College

Comparable Facts

Compare William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, IL with Northwestern College in Oak Lawn, IL on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

William Rainey Harper College is larger than Northwestern College based on total student enrollment (13,988 students vs. 464 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• William Rainey Harper College is located in Palatine, IL (Large Suburban setting); Northwestern College is in Oak Lawn, IL (Large Suburban setting).
• William Rainey Harper College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Northwestern College is a private, for-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: William Rainey Harper College 21:1; Northwestern College 12:1.

Harper vs. Northwestern College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Harper or Northwestern College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwestern College are 43.2% lower than at William Rainey Harper College ($8,100 vs. $14,251).
• Northwestern College is 81.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Harper (about $8,218 more per year; $18,280.00 vs. $10,062.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 53.9% higher at Northwestern College than at William Rainey Harper College (about $6,406 more per year; $18,280.00 vs. $11,874.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at William Rainey Harper College than at Northwestern College (55% vs. 0%).

Harper vs. Northwestern College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Harper or Northwestern College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Northwestern College and Harper.

• William Rainey Harper College reports an open admissions policy.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Harper - Open admission; Northwestern College - Not reported.

Harper vs. Northwestern College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Harper and Northwestern College? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Graduates from William Rainey Harper College earn a median of about $8,500 more per year than Northwestern College graduates about ten years after starting college ($40,500 vs. $32,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, William Rainey Harper College graduates have a $17,000 lower median loan debt than Northwestern College graduates ($10,000 vs. $27,000).
• Among borrowers, Harper graduates have an estimated $176 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Northwestern College graduates ($103 vs. $279).
• More Harper graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northwestern College students, three years after graduation. (46% vs. 22%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.