Kirkwood vs Harper

Kirkwood Community College and William Rainey Harper College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer diverse educational opportunities to students in Iowa and Illinois, respectively. While they share a commitment to academic excellence, these colleges differ in several key aspects. Kirkwood boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students, while Harper's more selective admissions process ensures a highly competitive academic environment. In terms of student demographics, Kirkwood's student body is predominantly female, while Harper's is more evenly balanced between genders. Both colleges offer a wide range of popular majors, including nursing, business, and liberal arts, but Kirkwood excels in health professions, while Harper shines in engineering and technology. When it comes to graduation rates, Harper's students have a slightly higher success rate, with a larger proportion completing their programs within the expected timeframe. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more. Explore the table to
Kirkwood Community College logo

Kirkwood Community College

William Rainey Harper College logo

William Rainey Harper College

Overview

Location Cedar Rapids, Iowa Palatine, Illinois
Campus setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
College type 2 year 2 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 65.0% 74.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate Open Admission Open Admission
Application fees $25
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT) Not required
High school GPA N/A N/A
Recommendation letters N/A N/A
High school transcript N/A N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) N/A N/A

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $16,356

Out of state: $18,120
In state: $29,820

Out of state: $31,632
Average net price $8,740 $7,112
Tuition
In state: $5,208

Out of state: $6,972
In state: $9,372

Out of state: $11,184
Room & board
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

68.0%
Average amount $5,935
57.0%
Average amount $4,971
Students receiving federal student loan 41.0%
Average amount $4,429
3.0%
Average amount $4,807
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $6,664
0.0%
Average amount $0

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 12,604
Men 44.7% Women 55.3%
12,015
Men 44.2% Women 55.8%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 5.3% 0.5%
International students 1.4% 0.6%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity N/A N/A
First year students are required to live on campus? N/A N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Iowa Illinois Minnesota Wisconsin California Illinois Pennsylvania Wisconsin Georgia Iowa

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Liberal Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Automotive Technology
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Liberal Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 36.6% 37.8%
Dropout rate 45.1% 28.9%
Transferred out 8.5% 20.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,274
  • Year 2: $48,041
  • Year 3: $57,912
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,333
  • Year 2: $51,054
  • Year 3: $52,485
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $45,500
  • Year 3: $50,571
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,801
  • Year 2: $44,356
  • Year 3: $48,128
Agricultural Mechanization (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,853
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $44,281
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $34,704
  • Year 3: $43,495
Computer Programming (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $42,123
  • Year 3: $43,418
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,829
  • Year 2: $39,369
  • Year 3: $43,167
Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,240
  • Year 2: $41,342
  • Year 3: $43,050
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,258
  • Year 2: $43,319
  • Year 3: $42,513
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,892
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $73,991
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,058
  • Year 2: $59,937
  • Year 3: $64,559
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,114
  • Year 2: $61,908
  • Year 3: $62,113
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $27,669
  • Year 3: $43,118
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,127
  • Year 3: $39,397
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,090
  • Year 2: $27,319
  • Year 3: $34,147
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,373
  • Year 2: $28,598
  • Year 3: $32,807
Biological and Physical Sciences (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,238
  • Year 2: $22,420
  • Year 3: $27,387
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $30,173
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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