Public Associate Fair 54/100

Herkimer County Community College

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

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Herkimer, New York

About Herkimer County Community College

Thinking about Herkimer County Community College, a college in New York where more students graduate in Liberal Arts 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.

Herkimer County Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Herkimer, New York. It enrolls 1,168 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
20.1%
Net Price
$13,419
Median Earnings (10yr)
$39,199
Enrollment
1,168
Student : Faculty
16:1

Accreditor Middle States 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 24
Value 40
Affordability 48
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Herkimer County 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 $13,419 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. 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
$13,419
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
39%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
28%
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
$5,776
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,516
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,516
Books & Supplies
$1,275
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,500
Total Cost of Attendance
$20,149

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
    $10,545
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $12,616
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $14,915
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $16,059
  • Over $110,000
    $19,479

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.

$2,218
10% percentile
$3,834
25% percentile
$11,365
Median percentile
$12,000
75% percentile
$19,000
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 $6,700 ↓ $4,665
No Pell $5,650 ↓ $5,715
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $5,865
Independent students $8,351 ↓ $3,014
Female students $7,250 ↓ $4,115
Male students $5,500 ↓ $5,865
Pell recipients: 17.2% (1,955 students)No Pell: 14.5% (1,649 students)Dependent students: 14.1% (1,605 students)Independent students: 21.4% (2,437 students)Female students: 18.6% (2,115 students)Male students: 14.1% (1,605 students)Overall Median$11,365
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($11,365), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

20% of students who start here finish within six years, and 56% 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
20%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
56%
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 $39,199 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)
$39,199
Earning > $25K
65%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$32,000$34,000$36,000$38,000$40,0006 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
$31,500

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

Male graduates
$38,000

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$31,700

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

Family income (middle third)
$35,000

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

Family income (highest third)
$38,500

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $6,500, about 17% 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 ↑ 21.4 pts across 6 years
42.4%1yr47.9%3yr55.6%5yr63.9%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 64% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,168 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 44% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
1,168
Part-Time
27%
First-Generation
44%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 58.5% 683
Black 17.3% 202
Hispanic 12.2% 142
International 3.9% 46
Other 3.7% 43
Asian 1.3% 15
White: 58.5% (683 students)Black: 17.3% (202 students)Hispanic: 12.2% (142 students)International: 3.9% (46 students)Other: 3.7% (43 students)Asian: 1.3% (15 students)Total1,168

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Town: Fringe Herkimer, New York
Housing
Mostly residential 596 beds on campus
Adult Learners
22% 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 Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Herkimer County Community College offers a varied set of programs: 33 distinct programs across 15 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.

1 Program
9 Programs
4 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
  • Human $49K ($35K–$63K)
2 Programs
1 Program
  • Parks $50K ($38K–$64K)

Faculty & Resources

There are 16 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
16:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,721
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$1.2M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$53,445
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

43 instructional faculty across 4 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 11 26% $60,259
Associate Professors 9 21% $52,471
Assistant Professors 20 47% $50,683
Instructors 3 7% $49,795

Pros & Cons of Herkimer County Community College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Herkimer County 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
  • Below-average net price
  • Open admissions
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
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
Best for: Based on the data, Herkimer County Community 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 Herkimer County Community College

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

Is Herkimer County Community College hard to get into?
Not especially. Herkimer County 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 Herkimer County 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 Herkimer County Community College cost?
Budget around $13,419 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 Herkimer County Community College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $39,199 a year against a net price of $13,419, about 2.9 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 Herkimer County Community College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. 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 Herkimer County Community College graduates earn?
About $39,199 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 Herkimer County Community College accredited?
Yes. Herkimer County Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Herkimer County Community College?
1,168 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 Herkimer County Community College?
20% 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 Herkimer County Community College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Herkimer County Community College located?
Herkimer County Community College is located in Herkimer, New York.
What programs does Herkimer County Community College offer?
33 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. 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 Herkimer County Community College?
16 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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