Harrisburg Area Community College
Rolling
Acceptance rate
$13,740
Tuition/yr
18,000
Enrollment
About Harrisburg Area Community College
Community college in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Strong transfer and workforce development.
Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) was established in 1964 as the first community college in Pennsylvania and remains the largest in the state. It serves more than 12,600 degree-seeking students and roughly 2,250 workforce development participants across five campuses in Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York, covering a nine-county region of central Pennsylvania. The college is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
HACC offers approximately 100 programs awarding associate degrees (Arts, Science, Applied Science, and Fine Arts), certificates, and diplomas. Its top enrollment areas are Pre-Health Professions, Nursing, Business Administration, General Studies, and Psychology. The college is also the largest public safety professional trainer in its region and holds the second-largest active military and veteran student population among Pennsylvania public institutions.
The Harrisburg campus is the primary location for international students and sits in Pennsylvania's state capital, roughly two hours from Philadelphia and three hours from New York City. HACC has formal transfer agreements with Penn State University, Temple University, Villanova University, and dozens of other four-year institutions, making it a structured pathway to a bachelor's degree at reduced overall cost.
Campus & Location
PA
Suburban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- HACC's out-of-state tuition for international students was approximately $6,870 per semester (30 credits per year comes to roughly $13,740 annually for 2025-26), making it one of the most affordable accredited U.S. college entry points for Nepali students compared to four-year universities.
- The college's structured articulation agreements with Penn State Harrisburg, Temple University, and Shippensburg University allow Nepali students to complete the first two years at HACC and transfer smoothly into a bachelor's program, reducing total degree costs substantially.
- HACC hosts students from more than 50 countries, and the HACC Foundation offers limited scholarships specifically available to F-1 international students, which Nepali students are eligible to apply for.
- Graduates on an F-1 visa who transfer to and complete a qualifying STEM bachelor's degree at a partner university become eligible for 12-month OPT plus a 24-month STEM OPT extension under U.S. immigration rules, providing up to three years of post-graduation work authorization in the United States.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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