Reading Area Community College

10 S Second St
Reading, PA 19602
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Tel: (610) 372-4721
www.racc.edu
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  • Reading Area Community College, serving Berks County, is a publicly-supported, comprehensive community college which awards the Associate in Arts, the Associate in Applied Science and the Associate in General Studies degrees. Certificates and diplomas in employment fields are awarded as well.

School Highlights

Reading Area Community College serves 4,280 students (28% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 14:1 is higher than the state community college average of 12:1.
Minority enrollment is 52% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the state average of 44%.

Top Rankings

Reading Area Community College ranks among the top 20% of community colleges in Pennsylvania for:

School Overview

The teacher population of 298 teachers has grown by 132% over five years.
Reading Area Community College(PA) Community College Avg.
Carnegie ClassificationAssociate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Vocational & Technical-Mixed Traditional/NontraditionalAssociates Colleges
Institution LevelAt least 2 but less than 4 yearsAt least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution ControlPublicPrivate not-for-profit
Total Faculty298 staff56 staff
This chart display total faculty of Reading Area Community College and community college average number of faculty in PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
School CalendarLink to School Calendar

Student Body

The student population of Reading Area Community College has stayed relatively flat over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 14:1 has decreased from 30:1 over five years.
The Reading Area Community College diversity score of 0.62 is less than the state average of 0.64. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Total Enrollment4,280 students477 students
This chart display the total enrollment of Reading Area Community College and community college average number of enrollment of PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio14:112:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of Reading Area Community College and community college average student staff ratio of PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
# Full-Time Students1,179 students331 students
This chart display the total number of Full-Time students enrollment of Reading Area Community College and average number of community college Full-Time students enrollment of PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
# Part-Time Students3,101 students146 students
This chart display the total number of Part-Time students enrollment of Reading Area Community College and average number of community college Part-Time students enrollment of PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
This chart display the Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of Reading Area Community College. This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of PA.
% Asian
2%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in Reading Area Community College and the percentage of Asian community college students in PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% Hispanic
37%
11%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in Reading Area Community College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% Black
9%
15%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in Reading Area Community College and the percentage of Black community college students in PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% White
48%
56%
This chart display the percentage of White students in Reading Area Community College and the percentage of White community college students in PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% Two or more races
3%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in Reading Area Community College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Reading Area Community College. This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in PA.
Diversity Score0.620.64
This chart display the diversity score of Reading Area Community College and the community college average diversity score of PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
College Completion Rate
20%
56%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-Time students of Reading Area Community College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-Time students of PA by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)$33,300$34,900
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Reading Area Community College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of PA by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition Cost and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $8,520 is less than the state average of $10,168. The in-state tuition has declined by 6% over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $12,030 is less than the state average of $14,356. The out-state tuition has grown by 19% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees$8,520$10,168
This chart display tuition fees for an in-state student of Reading Area Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees$12,030$14,356
This chart display tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Reading Area Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid83%91%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Reading Area Community College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in PA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates$12,050$13,000
This chart display median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in Reading Area Community College and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in PA by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts$7,450$5,500
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Reading Area Community College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in PA by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
Source: 2020 (or latest year available) IPEDS

School Notes

  • Reading Area Community College is an open enrollment, fully accredited two-year educational institution that awards associate degrees in career and transfer programs. Affordable tuition costs are maintained through sponsorship by the County of Berks and support from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Over 5,000 students are currently enrolled in credit courses on campus and over 25,000 people in Berks County participate annually in various non-credit vocational and continuing education training courses. Reading Area Community College was founded on October 1, 1971, and sponsored for 20 years by the Reading School District. Classes were held for the first time on October 13, 1971, with an enrollment of 265 students. The college operated from several buildings throughout Reading during its early years until it acquired the Holiday Inn (the current Berks Hall building) in 1978. In 1996, the college completed a campus expansion plan that transformed it into an attractive city-based campus. In the fall of 2002, enrollment was at a record high of 3,800 credit students. Reading Area Community College is approved by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as an institution of higher education, and is authorized to award the Associate in Arts Degree, the Associate in Applied Science Degree, the Associate in General Studies Degree, and the Certificate of Specialization, as well as appropriate diplomas and certificates. The Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Philadelphia, has granted full accreditation to Reading Area Community College.

Nearby Schools

The nearest community college to Reading Area Community College is Pace Institute (0.5 miles away).
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Quick Stats (2022)
  • Students: 4,280 students
  • In-state tuition: $8,520
  • Out-state tuition: $12,030
  • Student:teacher ratio: 14:1
  • Minority enrollment: 52%
Related School Videos
2019 Reading Area Community College State of the College Address 39:28

2019 Reading Area Community College State of the College Address

Dr. Susan Looney, President of Reading Area Community College 8-16-18 27:03

Dr. Susan Looney, President of Reading Area Community College 8-16-18

Philosophy Rocks at Reading Area Community College 1:03

Philosophy Rocks at Reading Area Community College

Health Fair at Reading Area Community College 0:57

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Related School News

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Did You Know?
For Pennsylvania public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $10,168 per year for in-state students and $14,356 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $17,415 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

The average community college acceptance rate in Pennsylvania is 82%. Read more about national community college acceptance rates.

Pennsylvania community colleges have a diversity score of 0.64, which is lower than the national average of 0.71. The most diverse community college in Pennsylvania is The Workforce Institute's City College. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.
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