Harper College

Harper College Fuels Regional Economy

Harper College
Fuels Regional Economy

Harper College plays a key role in a statewide community college system that generates $27.2 billion in economic impact and supports more than 324,00 jobs, according to a new economic impact study.

Harper's Economic Impact

$641.9MAlumni Impact
$768.9MTotal Impact
8,382Jobs Supported

Social Perspective

For every dollar invested in Harper

Students Gain
$4.10in higher lifetime earnings
Taxpayers Gain
$1.20in added tax revenue and public sector savings
Society Gains
$1.20in added income and social savings

Source: The Economic Value of the Community Colleges of Illinois (2026)
*For the purpose of this analysis, the Harper Service Area is comprised of 16 zipcodes located across Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry Counties.

Last Updated: 5/4/26