Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg, PA 17110-2999
About Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg Area Community College is a public community college in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving roughly 9,533 students. The college offers associate degrees, career certificates, and transfer pathways to four-year universities. Typical net price after grant aid is about $14,471 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $6,975. Student demographics in federal data include White (56.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (15.4%) among the largest enrollment groups.
Key findings
- Harrisburg Area Community College charges 27% above the national public median tuition ($6,975).
- Versus the Pennsylvania median, sticker tuition is about 0.4×.
- Average net price runs below the Pennsylvania median net price.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 20.74%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $42,007.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Harrisburg Area Community College is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 626% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Finding
Harrisburg Area Community College awards credentials across a wide program mix.
IPEDS completions cover more than 74 distinct degree programs at this campus.
Interpretation: Institutional averages blend very different fields; program-level completions and earnings matter more than the campus mean alone.
Limitation: Completions counts are not enrollment demand and do not measure program quality.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg Area Community College | $6,975 | $14,471 | 1 |
| Public (national median) | $5,512 | — | 1,688 |
| Pennsylvania (state median) | $19,450 | $17,754 | 181 |
| Town (locale median) | $9,600 | $14,971 | 1,517 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Harrisburg Area Community College really?
Key findings
- Harrisburg Area Community College charges 27% above the national public median tuition ($6,975).
- Versus the Pennsylvania median, sticker tuition is about 0.4×.
- Average net price runs below the Pennsylvania median net price.
Harrisburg Area Community College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $6,975
Finding Harrisburg Area Community College charges 27% above the national public median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $6,975. That is 27% above the national public median ($5,512). Versus the Pennsylvania median ($19,450), sticker tuition is about 0.4×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 0.6×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to public and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Harrisburg Area Community College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Harrisburg Area Community College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Harrisburg Area Community College is $14,471.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $14,471 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $3,282 below the Pennsylvania median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $500 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Harrisburg Area Community College, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Harrisburg Area Community College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Harrisburg Area Community College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
In-state tuition
$6,975
Out-of-state tuition
$12,472
Avg. net price
$14,471
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $11,685 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $12,788 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $14,644 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $16,995 |
| $110,001+ | $18,290 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $27,900. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Harrisburg Area Community College is known for
Top program completions
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse465
- General Studies149
- Business Administration and Management, General142
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training88
- Business/Commerce, General80
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Harrisburg Area Community College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Harrisburg Area Community College is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Harrisburg Area Community College.
Campus
Location
Harrisburg, PA
City / state
- ZIP
- 17110-2999
- NCES locale
- Town
Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is 3% below the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).
Control
Institution type
Public
Control
- Region
- Mid East
- Carnegie
- Associate's Colleges: High Vocational & Technical-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional
Size
Enrollment
9,533
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 20,049
- Full-time share
- 32%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$17,500
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 33.23%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Harrisburg Area Community College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Harrisburg Area Community College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Harrisburg Area Community College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $5,295 | $10,365 | $10,662 |
| 2014 | $5,655 | $10,695 | $10,720 |
| 2015 | $6,015 | $8,940 | $10,417 |
| 2016 | $6,525 | $9,225 | $10,589 |
| 2017 | $6,473 | $9,225 | $10,925 |
| 2018 | $6,683 | $9,435 | $12,147 |
| 2019 | $6,683 | $9,585 | $11,990 |
| 2020 | $6,758 | $9,660 | $11,608 |
| 2021 | $6,870 | $9,818 | $12,447 |
| 2022 | $7,088 | $10,148 | $12,143 |
| 2023 | $7,373 | $11,400 | $12,117 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Harrisburg Area Community College reported total enrollment of about 9,533 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 33% male and 67% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (56.4%), Hispanic or Latino (15.4%), and Black or African American (12.4%). About 33.23% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 49.4% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
32.2% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Harrisburg Area Community College in 2024 is 9,533 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 20,049 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
53.9%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
8.46% 100% Completion Time
20.74% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 8.46% of students graduating from Harrisburg Area Community College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse: 15% male / 85% female
- General Studies: 30% male / 70% female
- Business Administration and Management, General: 46% male / 54% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Harrisburg Area Community College graduates earn a median of $42,007 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Harrisburg Area Community College.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $42,007. Median federal loan debt: $17,500. Average net price used in cost models: $14,471.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Harrisburg Area Community College graduates report median earnings of $42,007 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Harrisburg Area Community College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (74 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Harrisburg Area Community College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Harrisburg Area Community College graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Harrisburg Area Community College—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$38.1M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Pennsylvania median 0.79× the median ($47.9M)
- Mid East median 0.89× the median ($42.6M)
- U.S. median 1.4× the median ($26.4M)
- Pennsylvania median 0.20× the median ($24,897)
- Mid East median 0.31× the median ($16,427)
- U.S. median 0.42× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 17.4%
- Pennsylvania median 45.8 pp below median (63.1%)
- Mid East median 39.5 pp below median (56.9%)
- U.S. median 40.6 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $7,203
- Pennsylvania median 0.90× the median ($8,003)
- Mid East median 0.89× the median ($8,119)
- U.S. median 0.95× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $6,982
- Pennsylvania median 0.81× the median ($8,615)
- Mid East median 0.76× the median ($9,164)
- U.S. median near the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Harrisburg Area Community College at a glance
Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg Area Community College is a public institution in Harrisburg, PA, classified as Associate's Colleges: High Vocational & Technical-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Registered Nursing/Registered NurseGeneral StudiesBusiness Administration and Management, General
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian56.4%Hispanic or Latino15.4%Black or African American12.4%
Schools near Harrisburg Area Community College
Other campuses in Harrisburg, PA when available, plus nearby institutions in Pennsylvania.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade F) within Pennsylvania, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Harrisburg Area Community College located?
Harrisburg Area Community College is located in Harrisburg, PA.
What is Harrisburg Area Community College's tuition?
Harrisburg Area Community College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $6,975 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $14,471 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Harrisburg Area Community College cost?
Reported tuition is $6,975 and average net price is $14,471 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $11,024 annually.
What explains Harrisburg Area Community College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($14,471), completion (20.7% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($42,007). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Harrisburg Area Community College?
Harrisburg Area Community College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 20,049 students, White (56.4%), Hispanic or Latino (15.4%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Harrisburg Area Community College?
About 49.4% of students at Harrisburg Area Community College are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Harrisburg Area Community College earn?
Median earnings are $36,499 six years after entry and $42,007 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Harrisburg Area Community College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 20.7% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Harrisburg Area Community College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $17,500.
Is Harrisburg Area Community College public or private?
Harrisburg Area Community College is a public institution located in Harrisburg, PA.
Is Harrisburg Area Community College an HBCU?
No. Harrisburg Area Community College is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Harrisburg Area Community College a tribal college?
No. Harrisburg Area Community College is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
- Pennsylvania college profile
- Pennsylvania college costs
- Pennsylvania colleges by ROI
- Pennsylvania trade schools profile
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania city profile
- Mid East regional profile
- Town college profile
- Campus-setting profiles
- All state profiles
- Regional profiles
- National benchmarks
- School directory
- All schools in Pennsylvania
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.