SIC vs. Harper

Deciding between Southeastern Illinois 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
  • SIC Harrisburg, IL
  • Harper Palatine, IL
  • Setting
  • SIC Distant Rural
  • Harper Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • SIC 1,446
  • Harper 13,988
  • Type
  • SIC Public 2 Year
  • Harper Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • SIC
  • Harper
  • Religious Affiliation
  • SIC -
  • Harper -
  • Status
  • SIC Non-profit
  • Harper Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • SIC
  • Harper

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • SIC $4,560
  • Harper $3,894
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • SIC $6,780
  • Harper $11,874
  • Room & Board
  • SIC $9,000
  • Harper $14,251
  • Average Net Price
  • SIC $12,781
  • Harper $12,145
  • Average Grant Aid
  • SIC $5,427
  • Harper $7,368
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • SIC 91%
  • Harper 55%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • SIC -
  • Harper -
  • Admitted
  • SIC -
  • Harper -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • SIC Open
  • Harper Open
  • Enrolled
  • SIC Open
  • Harper Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • SIC
  • Harper
  • Typical ACT score
  • SIC
  • Harper
  • Average High School GPA
  • SIC -
  • Harper 2.94
  • Typical High School Grades
  • SIC -
  • Harper B
  • Admissions Standards
  • SIC Unavailable
  • Harper Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • SIC
  • Harper
  • ACT Range
  • SIC
  • Harper
  • SAT Range
  • SIC
  • Harper
  • Submit Test Scores
  • SIC Open admission
  • Harper Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • SIC Sep 1, 2026
  • Harper

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • SIC 17:1
  • Harper 21:1
  • Popular Majors
  • SIC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (25%)
    • Health Professions (25%)
    • General Studies (15%)
    • Business (6%)
    • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Harper
    • Health Professions (36%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (24%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Work and Family Studies (5%)
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • SIC -
  • Harper -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • SIC $31,900
  • Harper $40,500
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • SIC -
  • Harper 46%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • SIC N/A
  • Harper $10,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • SIC N/A
  • Harper $103

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • SIC 46%
  • Harper 44%
  • % Women
  • SIC 54%
  • Harper 56%
  • Racial Diversity
  • SIC Very Low
  • Harper High
  • HBCU
  • SIC No
  • Harper No
  • % White
  • SIC 89%
  • Harper 57%
  • % Asian
  • SIC 0%
  • Harper 10%
  • % Black
  • SIC 5%
  • Harper 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • SIC 2%
  • Harper 22%
  • % Native American
  • SIC 0%
  • Harper 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • SIC 0%
  • Harper 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • SIC 2%
  • Harper 3%
  • % International
  • SIC 0%
  • Harper 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • SIC 1%
  • Harper 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • SIC 90%
  • Harper 98%
  • % Out-of-State
  • SIC 9%
  • Harper 0%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, 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 SIC based on total student enrollment (13,988 students vs. 1,446 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Southeastern Illinois College is located in Harrisburg, IL (Distant Rural setting); William Rainey Harper College is in Palatine, IL (Large Suburban setting).
  • Southeastern Illinois 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: Southeastern Illinois College 17:1; William Rainey Harper College 21:1.

SIC vs. Harper Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SIC 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 William Rainey Harper College than SIC ($12,145 vs. $12,781).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southeastern Illinois College are 36.8% lower than at William Rainey Harper College ($9,000 vs. $14,251).
  • William Rainey Harper College is 53.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than SIC (about $3,522 more per year; $10,062.00 vs. $6,540.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 75.1% higher at Harper than at Southeastern Illinois College (about $5,094 more per year; $11,874.00 vs. $6,780.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Southeastern Illinois College than at William Rainey Harper College (91% vs. 55%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by William Rainey Harper College students is 35.8% larger than aid received by Southeastern Illinois College students ($7,368 vs. $5,427).

SIC vs. Harper Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SIC 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 SIC.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: SIC - Open admission; Harper - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: SIC Sep 1, 2026.

SIC vs. Harper Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SIC 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 $8,600 more per year than SIC graduates about ten years after starting college ($40,500 vs. $31,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

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.