Accounting and Related Services at William Rainey Harper College

Palatine, IL · Public · Certificate

serving 8,815 students in Palatine, IL.

Program Analysis

At $31,747/yr, Accounting and Related Services graduates from William Rainey Harper College land near the $35,807 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

The 86.9x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. Trade programs often deliver strong ratios, and this one is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 62% task exposure — and the 0% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook for Accounting and Related Services graduates.

Ranked #37 out of 176 programs, William Rainey Harper College's Accounting and Related Services program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

With 5 registered apprenticeships mapped to Accounting and Related Services, graduates have substantial options for hands-on training paths that pay from day one.

70 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
64
Low End
70
Score
73
High End
Earnings $31,747/yr (-11% vs median)
AI-Proof Exposed (38% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (451,900 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$332K
1.0% annual growth
Earnings Multiple (In-State)
86.9x
10-year earnings ÷ tuition
Viable Career Paths
13 of 14
Occupations with strong AI resilience

Projected 10-Year Earnings

Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.

Program Tuition (In-State)
$3,822
Out-of-state: $11,802

Top Career Paths

Top career paths for Accounting and Related Services graduates by median salary.

Career Path Median Salary Growth AI-ProofAI
Financial managers $161,700 +14.8% 50%
Financial risk specialists $106,000 +6.5% 47%
Financial and investment analysts $101,350 +5.7% 54%
Financial managers
$161,700
+14.8% growth 50% AI-proof
Financial risk specialists
$106,000
+6.5% growth 47% AI-proof
Financial and investment analysts
$101,350
+5.7% growth 54% AI-proof

View all 14 career paths with full salary data →

About Accounting and Related Services Careers

Your career will likely start in a role like a bookkeeping or accounting clerk, where your day-to-day involves using software like QuickBooks to reconcile bank statements, manage invoices, and process payroll for a small business or as part of a larger corporate team. You’ll be the person ensuring the financial data is accurate and organized.

Read the full Accounting and Related Services career guide →

Compare & Explore

Accounting and Related Services Overview

Accounting and Related Services at Other Schools

Other Majors at William Rainey Harper College

How Does a Bachelor's Degree Compare?

Four-year programs take longer but may unlock different career trajectories. See the data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolOutlook Score for Accounting and Related Services at William Rainey Harper College?
A score of 70/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. William Rainey Harper College's Accounting and Related Services graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
How vulnerable is Accounting and Related Services to AI automation?
With 62% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $332,142 in decade earnings vs $332,142 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Why does William Rainey Harper College rank so high for Accounting and Related Services?
Ranked #37 of 176 programs nationally, William Rainey Harper College lands in the top 25%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.
Can I learn Accounting and Related Services through an apprenticeship instead?
There are 5 registered apprenticeships connected to Accounting and Related Services occupations. The earn-while-you-learn model means no tuition debt and immediate income, though the training period is typically longer.
How many job openings are there for Accounting and Related Services graduates?
The career paths mapped to Accounting and Related Services have roughly 451,900 combined annual openings nationally, making this a very large job market. Trade careers in this field benefit from consistent replacement demand as workers retire.
Data from College Scorecard, BLS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →