Helms College is a private nonprofit institution offering associate degrees based in Augusta, Georgia. It enrolls 183 students (a very small, intimate student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorAccrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training
Academic CalendarQuarter
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
64/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes47
Value—
Affordability52
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Helms College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Helms College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $25,358 per year. That's in line with the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$25,358
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
67%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
61%
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
$17,924
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,792
Books & Supplies
$750
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,435
Total Cost of Attendance
$30,291
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
$25,130
$30,001 – $48,000
$24,250
$48,001 – $75,000
$24,529
$75,001 – $110,000
$30,291
Over $110,000
$30,291
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.
$3,16710%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$9,500Medianpercentile
$10,45775%percentile
$13,87590%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 $8,208
↓ $1,292
No Pell $7,934
↓ $1,566
Dependent students $8,208
↓ $1,292
Independent students $8,718
↓ $782
Female students $7,501
↓ $1,999
Male students $9,500
—
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $4,645, less than completers ($9,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
62% of full-time students who enrolled at Helms College graduate within six years, and 70% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
62%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
70%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Post-graduation earnings data is not yet reported for Helms College.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
—
Earning > $25K
—
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Who Studies Here
Helms College is home to 183 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 47% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
183
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
47%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 74.3%136
White 21.9%40
Hispanic 2.2%4
Other 1.6%3
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Helms College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Midsize CityAugusta, Georgia
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
59%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Quarterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Helms College offers
a focused set of programs:
2 distinct programs across
1 major.
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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Helms College is 14:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$39,843
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
11 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
11
100%
$39,843
Pros & Cons of Helms College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Helms College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Open admissions
Reasonable class sizes
Tight-knit, close community feel
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
Low typical debt at graduation
First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
Above-average net price
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Modest first-year retention
Best for:
Based on the data, Helms College 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 Helms College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Helms College.
Is Helms College hard to get into?
Helms College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Helms College?
Helms College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Helms College cost?
The average net price after aid at Helms College is $25,358 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Helms College known for?
Helms College is best known for its programs in Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Helms College accredited?
Yes. Helms College is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training.
How many students attend Helms College?
Helms College enrolls 183 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Helms College?
Helms College graduates 62% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Helms College a public or private college?
Helms College is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Helms College located?
Helms College is located in Augusta, Georgia.
What programs does Helms College offer?
Helms College offers 2 distinct programs. The most popular include Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Helms College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Helms College is 14:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Georgia
Other colleges in Georgia share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Medical Assisting
Business Administration
Health Administration
Related Guides
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.