Rend Lake College vs. Harper

Comparable Facts

Compare Rend Lake College in Ina, 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 Rend Lake College based on total student enrollment (13,988 students vs. 2,015 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Rend Lake College is located in Ina, IL (Distant Rural setting); William Rainey Harper College is in Palatine, IL (Large Suburban setting).
• Rend Lake 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: Rend Lake College 19:1; William Rainey Harper College 21:1.

Rend Lake College vs. Harper Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Rend Lake College 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 Rend Lake College than Harper ($11,427 vs. $12,145).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rend Lake College are 18.1% lower than at William Rainey Harper College ($11,678 vs. $14,251).
• William Rainey Harper College is 29% more expensive for in-state tuition than Rend Lake College (about $2,262 more per year; $10,062.00 vs. $7,800.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 52.2% higher at Harper than at Rend Lake College (about $4,074 more per year; $11,874.00 vs. $7,800.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Rend Lake College than at William Rainey Harper College (78% vs. 55%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by William Rainey Harper College students is 17.9% larger than aid received by Rend Lake College students ($7,368 vs. $6,250).

Rend Lake College vs. Harper Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Rend Lake College 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 Rend Lake College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Rend Lake College - Open admission; Harper - Open admission.

Rend Lake College vs. Harper Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Rend Lake College 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 $10,600 more per year than Rend Lake College graduates about ten years after starting college ($40,500 vs. $29,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Rend Lake College graduates have a $6,500 lower median loan debt than Harper graduates ($3,500 vs. $10,000).
• Among borrowers, Rend Lake College graduates have an estimated $67 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Harper graduates ($36 vs. $103).
• More Harper graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rend Lake College students, three years after graduation. (46% vs. 40%)

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.