Public · Community college
Reading Area Community College
Reading, Pennsylvania · Small city
- 13%
- Transfer rate
- $9,228
- Avg net price
- 34%
- Grad / completion
- $39,082
- Median earnings
Reading Area Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Reading, Pennsylvania (small city setting), enrolling 3,703 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The Colony of Pennsylvania was a 1680 land grant from King Charles II of England to William Penn. Large employers based in Reading and surrounding communities include Boscov's, EnerSys, Carpenter, Penske Truck Leasing, and Redner's Markets. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 28 miles to Lancaster, PA
- To the ocean
- 45 miles
- Nearest airport
- 24 miles to Lancaster (LNS)
How Reading Area Community College compares
Higher than 18% · #128 of 151 in Pennsylvania
Higher than 34%
Higher than 66% · #66 of 137 in Pennsylvania
Cheaper than 73% · #18 cheapest of 152 in Pennsylvania
Lower than 67%
Lower than 35%
Larger than 88%
Percentiles compare Reading Area Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Pennsylvania.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women2,21960%
- Men1,48440%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White31%
- Black11%
- Hispanic49%
- Asian1.2%
- Other or multiracial8.9%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,703
- Student–faculty ratio
- 19 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 35%
- First-generation students
- 54%
- Students over 25
- 26%
- Median family income
- $19,778
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $60,966
- Endowment
- $21,018,774
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 895 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Pennsylvania99%
- Other U.S. states0.9%
Most first-years stay in state — Reading Area Community College draws overwhelmingly from Pennsylvania.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $6,480
- Out-of-state tuition
- $12,510
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,800
- Total cost of attendance
- $14,563
- Average net price
- $9,228
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 34%
- First-year retention
- 66%
- Transferred to another college
- 13%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $32,565
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $39,082
- Median debt at graduation
- $8,750
- Students with federal loans
- 20%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 25%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (5,369 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 29% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,421. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 314 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $39,082
- Typical debt at graduation
- $8,750
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 22%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 45%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $7,742 (21%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 86°F
- Winter low
- 23°F
- Annual rain
- 45.2″
- Annual snow
- 21.3″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Reading Spaatz Fld, PA US station (2.8 mi from campus).
What Reading Area Community College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Reading Area Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Reading Area Community College side by side →
Luzerne County Community College
Nanticoke, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 23 mi to Scranton
- Students
- 3,317
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $40k
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania · Fringe rural · 7 mi to Allentown
- Students
- 4,148
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 19%
- Earnings
- $42k
Northampton County Area Community College
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 10 mi to Allentown
- Students
- 7,667
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 20%
- Earnings
- $42k
Butler County Community College
Butler, Pennsylvania · Fringe town · 27 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 1,789
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 25%
- Earnings
- $39k
Westmoreland County Community College
Youngwood, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 27 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 2,441
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 18%
- Earnings
- $37k
Montgomery County Community College
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 16 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 7,301
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 19%
- Earnings
- $46k
Colleges near Reading Area Community College
Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences
Reading, PA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 294 students
American Barber and Beauty Academy
Reading, PA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 104 students
Alvernia University
Reading, PA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,152 students
Albright College
Reading, PA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,217 students
Miller-Motte College-Berks Technical Institute
Wyomissing, PA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 544 students
Empire Beauty School-Reading
Reading, PA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 90 students
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks
Reading, PA · Public · Bachelor's · 1,872 students
European Medical School of Massage
Sinking Spring, PA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 37 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.