SWIC vs. Harper

Deciding between Southwestern 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
  • SWIC Belleville, IL
  • Harper Palatine, IL
  • Setting
  • SWIC Rural Fringe
  • Harper Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • SWIC 8,492
  • Harper 13,988
  • Type
  • SWIC Public 2 Year
  • Harper Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • SWIC
  • Harper
  • Religious Affiliation
  • SWIC -
  • Harper -
  • Status
  • SWIC Non-profit
  • Harper Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • SWIC
  • Harper

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • SWIC $3,960
  • Harper $3,894
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • SWIC $6,720
  • Harper $11,874
  • Room & Board
  • SWIC $11,910
  • Harper $14,251
  • Average Net Price
  • SWIC $10,147
  • Harper $12,145
  • Average Grant Aid
  • SWIC $6,073
  • Harper $7,368
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • SWIC 55%
  • Harper 55%

  • Admissions

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

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • SWIC 17:1
  • Harper 21:1
  • Popular Majors
  • SWIC
    • Health Professions (24%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (16%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (14%)
    • Precision Production Trades (13%)
    • General Studies (8%)
  • Harper
    • Health Professions (36%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (24%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Work and Family Studies (5%)
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • SWIC -
  • Harper -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • SWIC $30,100
  • Harper $40,500
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • SWIC 34%
  • Harper 46%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • SWIC $6,975
  • Harper $10,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • SWIC $72
  • Harper $103

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • SWIC 44%
  • Harper 44%
  • % Women
  • SWIC 56%
  • Harper 56%
  • Racial Diversity
  • SWIC Medium
  • Harper High
  • HBCU
  • SWIC No
  • Harper No
  • % White
  • SWIC 65%
  • Harper 57%
  • % Asian
  • SWIC 1%
  • Harper 10%
  • % Black
  • SWIC 21%
  • Harper 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • SWIC 4%
  • Harper 22%
  • % Native American
  • SWIC 0%
  • Harper 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • SWIC 0%
  • Harper 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • SWIC 5%
  • Harper 3%
  • % International
  • SWIC 0%
  • Harper 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • SWIC 4%
  • Harper 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • SWIC 95%
  • Harper 98%
  • % Out-of-State
  • SWIC 5%
  • Harper 0%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, 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 SWIC based on total student enrollment (13,988 students vs. 8,492 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

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

SWIC vs. Harper Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SWIC 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 Southwestern Illinois College than Harper ($10,147 vs. $12,145).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southwestern Illinois College are 16.4% lower than at William Rainey Harper College ($11,910 vs. $14,251).
  • William Rainey Harper College is 30% more expensive for in-state tuition than SWIC (about $2,322 more per year; $10,062.00 vs. $7,740.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 76.7% higher at Harper than at Southwestern Illinois College (about $5,154 more per year; $11,874.00 vs. $6,720.00).
  • The same share of students receive grant aid at Southwestern Illinois College as at William Rainey Harper College (55% vs. 55%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by William Rainey Harper College students is 21.3% larger than aid received by Southwestern Illinois College students ($7,368 vs. $6,073).

SWIC vs. Harper Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SWIC 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 SWIC.

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

SWIC vs. Harper Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SWIC 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 $10,400 more per year than SWIC graduates about ten years after starting college ($40,500 vs. $30,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Southwestern Illinois College graduates have a $3,025 lower median loan debt than Harper graduates ($6,975 vs. $10,000).
  • Among borrowers, SWIC graduates have an estimated $31 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Harper graduates ($72 vs. $103).
  • More Harper graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SWIC students, three years after graduation. (46% vs. 34%)

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.