As the Spring 2025 semester wraps up at Harper College, new enrollment data revealed the most popular programs of study amongst students – and the ones bringing in the most revenue. 

Harper College offers a wide range of programs spanning liberal arts, sciences, engineering, and health care – each preparing students for different career pathways. 

According to data provided by Jacob Demos from Harper’s College’s Institutional Research department, the Associate in Arts program had the highest number of enrollments this semester, with 2,644 students. Other high enrollment programs included Adult Education (1,621), Associate in Science (1,619), Pre-Health careers (845), Associate in Engineering Science (435), and the Nursing program with 223 students. 

An Associate in Art degree provides students with general education courses that will prepare them for transferring to a four-year university. This is a popular choice for students who want something flexible before they commit to a specific major.

Sheila Soulje, a Harper sophomore, is currently pursuing an Associate in Arts degree and plans to transfer to a four-year university to get her bachelor’s degree in public relations. She enrolled in liberal arts and communications classes as part of her academic plan and feels she has gained valuable skills from them.

 “I am someone who has ADHD and anxiety,” Soulje said. “I get very nervous talking, and some of these courses I have [helped me] become better at talking to people and articulating myself,” she added. 

Though she has gained skills from them, Soulje says she has to put in the effort.

“I have a good amount of workload- I’m taking six classes,” she said. “I would say I’m putting in like three hours every day,” Soulje added about her assignments. 

While the Associate in Arts degree is the most popular, a significant portion of Harper students remain undeclared. According to recent data, 6,126 students had not declared a major. This represents the majority of the student body at Harper, but it is not uncommon for community college students to explore all areas of interest before deciding on a major.

Nicole Duel, an advisor at Harper College, said that many students come to Harper without declaring a major.

 “I have a lot of students that graduate and don’t really know what they’re going to major in,” Duel said. “A lot of times students come here, and they know they want to take gen-ed classes, they know they want to transfer, [but] don’t know where they want to transfer to, the transfer school depends on what they want to major in,” Duel explained. 

The Associate in Science program also had a high number of enrollments, with 1,619 students enrolled this spring. This program offers students more STEM-focused classes, such as biology, chemistry, or math. 

The Pre-Health program is also popular, with 845 students enrolled. The program prepares students for a career in healthcare, such as nursing, dental hygiene, or radiology. This typically leads to an Associate in Applied Science degree. 

Victoria Sanchez, a Harper student, is working to get her Associate in Applied Science degree, and plans to join Harper’s nursing program. 

She chose nursing because she wants to help others at their most vulnerable and feels there are endless opportunities as a nurse. However, she also recognized that the courses are not easy and require dedication. 

“The classes are a heavy workload, and there’s a lot to memorize and you have to set aside a lot of time to study,” Sanchez said. 

She notes that the nursing program is competitive, and there are a lot more students interested in nursing now.

 “There’s a bunch of people who apply, and not everyone can get in,” Sanchez added.

While student enrollment is one way to measure a program’s success, the amount of revenue a program brings into Harper is also an important factor. 

According to The Harper College Plan 2024-2025 in 2023, the top programs that brought in the highest revenue were: Mathematics and Dev Math at $5,728,316, English/Literature ($3,905,613), Biology ($3,647,093), Psychology ($1,874,826), Communication Arts ($1,831, 159), and Business Administration ($1,797,771). 

Mathematics was at the top of the list, generating over five million dollars in revenue. While mathematics was not on the list of most popular programs here at Harper, math classes are a requirement, and students need to enroll in at least one or more math classes for their major. 

Taking an English or Literature class is also a requirement, which the departments have generated over three million dollars in revenue. The Associate in Arts degree, which had the highest number of enrollments, requires general education English courses that almost all students need to take at least one or more of. 

Since undeclared students don’t have a major, that means they don’t have an educational plan that lists the specific courses they need to take. Advisor Duel explained that most undeclared students focus on taking general education courses, and since a large bulk of Harper students are undeclared, it could explain why the programs above had the highest revenue.

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