Public Associate Fair 54/100

Berkshire Community College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Pittsfield, Massachusetts

About Berkshire Community College

Thinking about Berkshire Community College, a college in Massachusetts where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Berkshire Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It enrolls 1,358 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
26.7%
Net Price
$9,921
Median Earnings (10yr)
$38,832
Enrollment
1,358
Student : Faculty
10:1

Accreditor New England Commission on Higher Education
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Fair
54/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 14
Value 54
Affordability 48
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Berkshire Community College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $9,921 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$9,921
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
33%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
30%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$6,164
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$11,468
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,750
Books & Supplies
$1,560
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,848
Total Cost of Attendance
$18,062

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $7,797
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $8,878
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $9,245
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $11,741
  • Over $110,000
    $13,265

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$1,750
10% percentile
$3,460
25% percentile
$12,053
Median percentile
$14,489
75% percentile
$25,907
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $9,390 ↓ $2,663
No Pell $6,000 ↓ $6,053
Dependent students $5,791 ↓ $6,262
Independent students $10,000 ↓ $2,053
Female students $8,661 ↓ $3,392
Male students $6,799 ↓ $5,254
Pell recipients: 20.1% (2,427 students)No Pell: 12.9% (1,551 students)Dependent students: 12.4% (1,497 students)Independent students: 21.4% (2,584 students)Female students: 18.6% (2,238 students)Male students: 14.6% (1,757 students)Overall Median$12,053
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($12,053), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

27% of students who start here finish within six years, and 59% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
27%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
59%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $38,832 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$38,832
Earning > $25K
59%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$35,500$36,500$37,500$38,500$39,5006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$34,000

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$36,500

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$32,100

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$38,200

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$37,200

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 17.3 pts across 6 years
54.9%1yr59.1%3yr68.8%5yr72.2%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 72% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,358 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 45% are the first in their family to go to college, and 75% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
1,358
Part-Time
75%
First-Generation
45%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 62.7% 851
Hispanic 14.8% 201
Black 8.0% 109
Other 6.9% 94
Asian 1.3% 17
International 0.6% 8
White: 62.7% (851 students)Hispanic: 14.8% (201 students)Black: 8.0% (109 students)Other: 6.9% (94 students)Asian: 1.3% (17 students)International: 0.6% (8 students)Total1,358

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Berkshire Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Fringe Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
34% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Liberal Arts graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Berkshire Community College offers a varied set of programs: 15 distinct programs across 10 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

5 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$8,865
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$12M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$69,785
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

47 instructional faculty across 3 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 18 38% $76,731
Associate Professors 13 28% $65,469
Assistant Professors 16 34% $65,478

Pros & Cons of Berkshire Community College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Berkshire Community College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Open admissions
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Berkshire Community College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Berkshire Community College

The questions families ask most about Berkshire Community College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Berkshire Community College hard to get into?
Not especially. Berkshire Community College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Berkshire Community College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Berkshire Community College cost?
Budget around $9,921 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Berkshire Community College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $38,832 a year against a net price of $9,921, about 3.9 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Berkshire Community College known for?
Mostly Nursing, Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Berkshire Community College graduates earn?
About $38,832 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Berkshire Community College accredited?
Yes. Berkshire Community College is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Berkshire Community College?
1,358 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Berkshire Community College?
27% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Berkshire Community College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Berkshire Community College located?
Berkshire Community College is located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
What programs does Berkshire Community College offer?
15 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Berkshire Community College?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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