Reading Area Community College: An Overview
Reading Area Community College (RACC), established in 1971, is a comprehensive, open-enrollment public community college located in Reading, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by Berks County, the College provides affordable access to meet identified community educational needs. RACC serves the greater Reading area and Berks County, Pennsylvania. The college aims to provide Associate degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs; career-focused training; transitional coursework; skills training for business and industry; personal enrichment programs and public service activities.
A Diverse Student Body
RACC's student body is diverse, encompassing individuals of every age, race, religion, and many different countries throughout the world. As of 2023, the total enrollment at Reading Area Community College is 4,788 students. A significant portion of the student population attends part-time. The full-time enrollment at Reading Area Community College is 892 students and the part-time enrollment is 3,896. This means that 18.6% of students enrolled at Reading Area Community College are enrolled full-time.
The enrolled student population at Reading Area Community College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 42.5% Hispanic or Latino, 41.8% White, 8.58% Black or African American, 4.22% Two or More Races, 1.65% Asian, 0.125% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0835% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. Students enrolled at Reading Area Community College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (24.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Female (24.4%) and White Male (20.4%).
Academics and Programs
RACC offers a variety of academic programs, with students earning degrees and certificates in 40 different fields. The highest degree offered at Reading Area Community College is an associate degree. Popular programs include: General Studies, Business Administration and Management, General, and Health Professions and Related Programs. Those who are seeking degrees at the college are attracted to programs like nursing, respiratory care, criminal justice and business. Other people pursue individual courses to brush up on a skill or interest, or pursue certification in a variety of subjects. The Community Education/Workforce Development division offers programs like dental assisting, home health aide, veterinary assisting and GED preparation.
In 2023, 496 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Reading Area Community College. 64.7% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 35.3% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (229 degrees), 1.33 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (172 degrees).
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In 2023, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Reading Area Community College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Human Sciences (50 degrees awarded), Construction (19 degrees), and Physical Sciences (18 degrees).
Admissions
Reading Area Community College has an open admission policy, which means that any student may be eligible for enrollment after the completion of certain steps. These steps include placement testing. Based on their placement test scores, some students without a high school diploma or G.E.D.
Applying to RACC is designed to be stress-free, with a simplified application experience.
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid
RACC is committed to providing affordable education. In 2023, the median undergraduate tuition at Reading Area Community College is $4,560, which is $−3,693 less than the national average for Associates Colleges ($8,253). The in-district tuition and fees for 2020-2021 were $5,910, in-state tuition and fees were $10,170, and out-of-state tuition and fees were $11,220. There is no application fee.
After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $8,869.
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In 2023, 55% of undergraduate students attending Reading Area Community College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 18% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans. At Reading Area Community College, 66 percent of undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid and the average scholarship or grant award is $4,039.
Student Life
The school utilizes a semester-based academic year. The student-faculty ratio is 19-to-1. RACC provides various campus services to support students including: Academic/career counseling service, Placement services for completers, Employment services for students and Credit for life experiences.
Outcomes
The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Reading Area Community College was 64%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Associates Colleges (64%), Reading Area Community College had a retention rate approximately the same as its peers.
In 2023, 12% of students graduating from Reading Area Community College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 21% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 25% within 200%.
The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2023 at Reading Area Community College is Male and White (43.9% graduation rate).
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In 2022 the default rate for borrower's at Reading Area Community College was 0%, corresponding to 0 out of the 782 total borrowers.
The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Reading Area Community College are Social workers, all other (159,539 people), Other managers (129,381 people), Postsecondary teachers (88,588 people), Software developers (80,788 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (72,819 people).
The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Reading Area Community College are Elementary & secondary schools (219,179 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (187,112 people), uninformed (173,601 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (147,146 people), and Construction (130,689 people).
Financial Overview
Reading Area Community College has an endowment valued at nearly $19.8M, as of the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 487k (2.46%) compared to the 7.3% average return (423k on 5.8M) across all Associates Colleges.
In 2023, Reading Area Community College had a total salary expenditure of 42.9M. Reading Area Community College employs 15 Associate professors, 14 Instructors and 14 Professors. Most academics at Reading Area Community College are Female Instructor (13), Female Professor (12), and Female Associate professor (12).
The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Reading Area Community College are: Management, with 43 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 28 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 27 employees.
Workforce Development
The College plays an important part in the business community as well. The Schmidt Training and Technology Center provides training in senior leadership, manufacturing technology, information technology, workplace readiness and workplace literacy.
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