Following high school graduation, students are faced with choices for their future, and 39 percent of students seeking further education elect to attend a local community college for a cheaper, closer to home alternative for a traditional college.
From Palatine High School, many of these students attend William Rainey Harper College in Palatine.
In a 1970 edition of the PHS Cutlass, reporter Dian Jenkins shed light on the positive and negative aspects of attending Harper College, as well as the growing trend of taking classes there before transferring to a four-year university such as the University of Illinois.
“A girl who had transferred to Harper from a university said that Harper definitely had a college atmosphere,” Jenkins said. “She praised the academic level of classes, diversity of courses and teaching quality.”
Harper first opened its doors in 1967, with 1,725 initially enrolled. The school experienced quick development in its early years, and it continues to grow in current times. According to the Illinois Community College Board, 274,737 students were enrolled in community colleges across the state in 2025, a 3.7 percent increase from the year before.
Harper is a community college, offering students the opportunity to earn associate’s degrees, certificates, and more at a more affordable rate than many four year institutions. Additionally, they offer transfer programs for students to complete their freshman and sophomore years at Harper before transferring to a different school to complete their degree. Harper has partnerships with many public and private universities across Illinois, making the transfer process incredibly streamlined.
“For those who qualify for Harper Promise or who feel that their high school transcript does not display their academic abilities, Harper offers a free option to earn college credit and reduce student debt,” PHS math teacher Erin Luzadder said.
If students from Districts 211 and 214 maintain academic standards,commit to community service hours, and have strong attendance records, they may be eligible for free tuition at Harper College, truly making it a free option for students who work throughout high school to keep those standards.
“Going to Harper with the intention to transfer is a great way to get used to the college pace and is an easy and inexpensive opportunity to complete one’s gen-ed courses,” freshman at Harper Hudson Giromini said.
Harper also offers various intercollegiate and intramural sports, including both men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, track and field, and cross country. Their fitness facilities are up to date after a $41 million renovation in 2018 enhanced the 6-lane swimming pool, expanded the fitness center, and established a medical clinic.
Throughout the years, many programs offered at Harper have changed and grown, as well as become more inclusive. When the 1970 article was initially written, programs such as electronics, marketing, engineering, and accounting aid were geared towards men, with women encouraged to go into fields like nursing or secretarial science. In contrast, this past year, 55 percent of students were female, spanning across many different educational programs.
This trend mirrored the increase in women pursuing higher education in the United States. According to the Pew Research Center, women now make up over half of the college-educated workforce in the United States.
For Palatine students throughout the decades, Harper College has remained a popular option for students looking to take a non-traditional path after high school.
