Private For-Profit Associate Good 67/100

Douglas Education Center

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

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Monessen, Pennsylvania

About Douglas Education Center

Thinking about Douglas Education Center, a college in Pennsylvania where more students graduate in Personal Services 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.

Douglas Education Center is a private for-profit institution offering associate degrees based in Monessen, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 178 students (a very small, intimate 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
75.9%
Net Price
$27,348
Median Earnings (10yr)
$30,814
Enrollment
178
Student : Faculty
13:1

Accreditor Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
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.

Good
67/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 93
Value 6
Affordability 35
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Douglas Education Center 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 $27,348 a year on average, it sits in line with what private for-profit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. 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
$27,348
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
42%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
67%
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
$19,450
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,120
Books & Supplies
$3,985
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,232
Total Cost of Attendance
$32,767

Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)


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
    $24,076
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $24,212
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $28,247
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $28,789
  • Over $110,000
    $32,370

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.

$4,583
10% percentile
$8,541
25% percentile
$12,000
Median percentile
$16,000
75% percentile
$20,000
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 $12,000 —
No Pell $12,000 —
Dependent students $12,000 —
Independent students $11,342 ↓ $658
Female students $12,000 —
Male students $12,000 —
Pell recipients: 16.8% (2,018 students)No Pell: 16.8% (2,018 students)Dependent students: 16.8% (2,018 students)Independent students: 15.9% (1,908 students)Female students: 16.8% (2,018 students)Male students: 16.8% (2,018 students)Overall Median$12,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,125, less than completers ($12,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

76% of students who start here finish within six years, and 84% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. 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
76%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
84%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $30,814 a year, below the national median. Weigh that against the cost above before taking on debt here. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$30,814
Earning > $25K
51%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$24,000$26,000$28,000$30,000$32,0006 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
$21,800

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

Male graduates
$31,600

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$24,800

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

Family income (middle third)
$28,200

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

Family income (highest third)
$27,700

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $9,800, about 31% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

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 ↑ 17.1 pts across 6 years
42.3%1yr44.5%3yr58.8%5yr59.4%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 59% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 178 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 41% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
178
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
41%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 84.8% 151
Black 5.6% 10
Hispanic 5.1% 9
Other 4.5% 8
White: 84.8% (151 students)Black: 5.6% (10 students)Hispanic: 5.1% (9 students)Other: 4.5% (8 students)Total178

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Douglas Education Center. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Fringe Monessen, Pennsylvania
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
23% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

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

Douglas Education Center offers a focused set of programs: 4 distinct programs across 3 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.

Faculty & Resources

There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$40,660
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

10 instructional faculty across 1 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
Instructors 10 100% $40,660

Pros & Cons of Douglas Education Center

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Douglas Education Center 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
  • Open admissions
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Strong six-year graduation rate
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • Low typical debt at graduation
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Below-average post-graduation earnings
  • Most students take on federal loans
  • For-profit institution, verify accreditation and outcomes carefully
Best for: Based on the data, Douglas Education Center is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Douglas Education Center

The questions families ask most about Douglas Education Center, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Douglas Education Center hard to get into?
Not especially. Douglas Education Center 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 Douglas Education Center?
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 Douglas Education Center cost?
Budget around $27,348 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 Douglas Education Center worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $30,814 a year against a net price of $27,348, about 1.1 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 Douglas Education Center known for?
Mostly Cosmetology, Ground Transportation, Cosmetology. 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 Douglas Education Center graduates earn?
About $30,814 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 Douglas Education Center accredited?
Yes. Douglas Education Center is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
How many students attend Douglas Education Center?
178 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 Douglas Education Center?
76% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Douglas Education Center a public or private college?
It is Private For-Profit. Private for-profit, so compare completion and earnings carefully against a public alternative.
Where is Douglas Education Center located?
Douglas Education Center is located in Monessen, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Douglas Education Center offer?
4 different programs, most commonly Cosmetology, Ground Transportation, Cosmetology. 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 Douglas Education Center?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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