MCC vs. Harper

Deciding between McHenry County College and William Rainey Harper College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

William Rainey Harper College

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • MCC Crystal Lake, IL
  • Harper Palatine, IL
  • Setting
  • MCC Rural Fringe
  • Harper Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • MCC 9,399
  • Harper 13,988
  • Type
  • MCC Public 2 Year
  • Harper Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • MCC
  • Harper
  • Religious Affiliation
  • MCC -
  • Harper -
  • Status
  • MCC Non-profit
  • Harper Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • MCC
  • Harper

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • MCC $4,162
  • Harper $3,894
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • MCC $14,399
  • Harper $11,874
  • Room & Board
  • MCC $12,090
  • Harper $14,251
  • Average Net Price
  • MCC $6,334
  • Harper $12,145
  • Average Grant Aid
  • MCC $6,422
  • Harper $7,368
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • MCC 33%
  • Harper 55%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • MCC -
  • Harper -
  • Admitted
  • MCC -
  • Harper -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • MCC Open
  • Harper Open
  • Enrolled
  • MCC Open
  • Harper Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • MCC
  • Harper
  • Typical ACT score
  • MCC
  • Harper
  • Average High School GPA
  • MCC 2.25
  • Harper 2.94
  • Typical High School Grades
  • MCC C+
  • Harper B
  • Admissions Standards
  • MCC Unavailable
  • Harper Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • MCC
  • Harper
  • ACT Range
  • MCC
  • Harper
  • SAT Range
  • MCC
  • Harper
  • Submit Test Scores
  • MCC Open admission
  • Harper Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • MCC
  • Harper

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • MCC 25:1
  • Harper 21:1
  • Popular Majors
  • MCC
    • Health Professions (37%)
    • General Studies (28%)
    • Business (13%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Harper
    • Health Professions (36%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (24%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Work and Family Studies (5%)
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • MCC -
  • Harper -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • MCC $32,800
  • Harper $40,500
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • MCC 49%
  • Harper 46%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • MCC $4,500
  • Harper $10,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • MCC $46
  • Harper $103

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • MCC 44%
  • Harper 44%
  • % Women
  • MCC 56%
  • Harper 56%
  • Racial Diversity
  • MCC Low
  • Harper High
  • HBCU
  • MCC No
  • Harper No
  • % White
  • MCC 70%
  • Harper 57%
  • % Asian
  • MCC 2%
  • Harper 10%
  • % Black
  • MCC 1%
  • Harper 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • MCC 16%
  • Harper 22%
  • % Native American
  • MCC 0%
  • Harper 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • MCC 0%
  • Harper 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • MCC 2%
  • Harper 3%
  • % International
  • MCC 0%
  • Harper 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • MCC 9%
  • Harper 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • MCC 99%
  • Harper 98%
  • % Out-of-State
  • MCC 1%
  • Harper 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • MCC No
  • Harper No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • MCC No
  • Harper No
  • Meal Plan
  • MCC No
  • Harper No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • MCC Yes
  • Harper Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • MCC Yes
  • Harper Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL with William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, IL on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

William Rainey Harper College is larger than MCC based on total student enrollment (13,988 students vs. 9,399 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • McHenry County College is located in Crystal Lake, IL (Rural Fringe setting); William Rainey Harper College is in Palatine, IL (Large Suburban setting).
  • McHenry County College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. William Rainey Harper College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: McHenry County College 25:1; William Rainey Harper College 21:1.

MCC vs. Harper Cost Comparison

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

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at McHenry County College than Harper ($6,334 vs. $12,145).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at McHenry County College are 15.2% lower than at William Rainey Harper College ($12,090 vs. $14,251).
  • McHenry County College is 3.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than Harper (about $330 more per year; $10,392.00 vs. $10,062.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 21.3% higher at MCC than at William Rainey Harper College (about $2,525 more per year; $14,399.00 vs. $11,874.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at William Rainey Harper College than at McHenry County College (55% vs. 33%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by William Rainey Harper College students is 14.7% larger than aid received by McHenry County College students ($7,368 vs. $6,422).

MCC vs. Harper Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MCC or Harper? 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 Harper and MCC.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: MCC - Open admission; Harper - Open admission.
  • Accepted freshman Harper students have a 0.69 point higher average high school GPA (2.94) than students at MCC (2.25).

MCC vs. Harper Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for MCC and Harper? 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 $7,700 more per year than MCC graduates about ten years after starting college ($40,500 vs. $32,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, McHenry County College graduates have a $5,500 lower median loan debt than Harper graduates ($4,500 vs. $10,000).
  • Among borrowers, MCC graduates have an estimated $57 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Harper graduates ($46 vs. $103).
  • More MCC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harper students, three years after graduation. (49% vs. 46%)

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.