low-income students

25 great community colleges for low-income students


Low-income students might want to keep this list of 25 community colleges handy

As policymakers tout the importance of higher education in helping students secure jobs and succeed in the workforce, equity and affordable higher education is now almost constantly in the spotlight.

Ensuring that low-income students have a chance to secure a solid educational foundation before they enter the workforce is critical to U.S. society’s success. And as student loans spiral out of control, loan repayment timeframes and salaries after graduation are crucial pieces of information for low-income students.

These public two-year colleges enroll over 40 percent low-income students at the school, and have relatively high outcomes for those students, according to U.S. Department of Education data.

In total, low-income students at these schools averaged at least $30,000 in earnings 10 years after they first enrolled at the school. In addition, over 70 percent of all borrowers at these schools were successfully repaying their loans three years after they left school.

Both the college that students select and the program they enroll in can have an impact on post-college earnings. For instance, schools that offer more technical or health programs, or where a lot of students transfer to a four-year college, often have higher earnings.

(Next page: The 25 community colleges on the Department of Education’s list)

Below is a sampling of five community colleges included in the list. For all 25, click here.

Community college: State Technical College of Missouri
Share of low-income students: 40 percent
Average net price: $9,141
Percentage repaying loans: 83 percent
Average earnings: $39,100

Community college: Glendale Community College (Calif.)
Share of low-income students: 41 percent
Average net price: $3,057
Percentage repaying loans: 77 percent
Average earnings: $34,800

Community college: Community College of Beaver County (Pa.)
Share of low-income students: 42 percent
Average net price: $8,893
Percentage repaying loans: 71 percent
Average earnings: $36,700

Community college: Lake Area Technical Institute (S.D.)
Share of low-income students: 43 percent
Average net price: $11,403
Percentage repaying loans: 87 percent
Average earnings: $35,500

Community college: Colby Community College (Kan.)
Share of low-income students: 62 percent
Average net price: $7,822
Percentage repaying loans: 80 percent
Average earnings: $30,300

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Laura Ascione

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