Do Students Succeed at William Rainey Harper College?
Student success metrics for William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, IL: graduation, transfer, and retention data.
Student Success at William Rainey Harper College at a Glance
William Rainey Harper College is a public institution offering at least 2 but less than 4 years programs located in Palatine, IL. Current enrollment is 13,988 students.
- 47.6% overall graduation rate (IPEDS)
- 37.9% of all entering students earn their award within 8 years
- 4,768 graduates across 126 programs in 2025
- VA-approved for GI Bill benefits — 182 students used them here
College-Wide Statistics · IPEDS Federal Survey
What Are the Student Outcomes at William Rainey Harper College?
The figures below cover all students at William Rainey Harper College, tracked over eight years by the federal IPEDS survey.
Overall Completion Rate
37.9%
Working Student Success
34.4%
Transfer Out Rate
34.3%
Still Enrolled Rate
0.8%
How William Rainey Harper College Compares
A 38% completion rate at William Rainey Harper College is consistent with how most trade colleges perform. With 1% still enrolled, the picture is one of steady but incomplete progression — common in programs that mix full-time students with part-time learners working alongside their studies.
What Happens After Students Enroll at William Rainey Harper College?
Eight-Year Student Outcomes
Eight-year outcomes for students who entered William Rainey Harper College. This shows what happened to students in their cohort by the end of the tracking period.
Understanding These Outcomes
Completed: Students who earned a certificate, diploma, or degree from this institution.
Still Enrolled: Students who remain enrolled at this institution after the tracking period.
Transferred Out: Students who transferred to another institution and may have completed there.
No Award: Students who left without earning a credential and are not enrolled elsewhere.
Combined completion and transfer rate of 54.3% indicates strong student success pathways.
These outcomes track what happened to students eight years after they first enrolled. Completion rates include certificates, diplomas, and degrees earned at this institution. Transfer rates show students who continued their education at other colleges. Understanding these pathways helps prospective students set realistic expectations and plan their educational journey.
What Are the Transfer and Continuation Patterns at William Rainey Harper College?
Success Rates by Student Entry Pathway
Comparing completion rates across different student entry pathways helps understand which groups succeed and how transfer experience impacts outcomes.
Key Insights
Transfer students outperform first-time students by 6.0 percentage points, suggesting the institution provides strong support for transfer pathways and recognizes prior learning effectively.
Combined 33.5% transfer-out rate suggests this institution may serve as a stepping stone for students continuing their education elsewhere.
Cohort Composition
Understanding Student Pathways
First-Time Students: Beginning postsecondary education for the first time at this institution.
Transfer-In Students: Previously attended another postsecondary institution before enrolling here.
Continuing Students: Returned to this institution after a break in enrollment.
Completion rates tracked over 8 years from initial entry.
Different student entry pathways lead to varying success rates. First-time students enter directly from high school or are starting college for the first time. Transfer students bring prior college experience and credits. Understanding these patterns helps you identify which pathway aligns best with your situation and predict your likelihood of success.
What Are the Completion Rates by Student Type at William Rainey Harper College?
What does this mean for you? These completion rates show how different types of students succeed at this institution. Full-time students have a higher completion rate (43%) compared to part-time students (34.4%). Consider your work and life commitments when deciding on your enrollment status. First-time students are those new to college, while transfer students have attended another institution before.
What Are the Cohort Outcomes Over Time at William Rainey Harper College?
Tracking outcomes for the 2015-16 cohort of 5,089 students
After 4 Years
After 6 Years
After 8 Years (Final)
Final Student Status
Completion Breakdown by Cohort
Full-time First-time Transfer Students
All First-time Transfer Students
Full-time Non-first-time Transfer Students
Part-time First-time Students
Part-time First-time Transfer Students
All First-time Students
All Full-time Students
Full-time First-time Students
Time to Completion
About This Data
Outcome measures data tracks student cohorts over 4, 6, and 8-year periods. Data is sourced from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reflects the most recent available reporting year.