Public Associate Strong 72/100

Lamar Community College

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

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Lamar, Colorado

About Lamar Community College

Thinking about Lamar Community College, a college in Colorado 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.

Lamar Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Lamar, Colorado. It enrolls 400 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
—
Graduation
29.2%
Net Price
$9,161
Median Earnings (10yr)
$38,719
Enrollment
400
Student : Faculty
14:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
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 (4-Year Open / Online), 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.

Strong
72/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 59
Value 67
Affordability 51
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Lamar Community College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
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 $9,161 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
$9,161
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
29%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
9%
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)
$4,550
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$7,260
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,324
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,785
Books & Supplies
$1,460
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$6,480
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,480
Total Cost of Attendance
$20,044

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
    $7,513
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $8,163
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $10,137
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $12,389
  • Over $110,000
    $17,711

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.

$2,000
10% percentile
$3,130
25% percentile
$8,750
Median percentile
$10,500
75% percentile
$16,365
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 $6,200 ↓ $2,550
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $3,250
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $3,250
Independent students $8,750 —
Female students $6,375 ↓ $2,375
Male students $5,500 ↓ $3,250
Pell recipients: 16.4% (1,434 students)No Pell: 14.5% (1,272 students)Dependent students: 14.5% (1,272 students)Independent students: 23.1% (2,024 students)Female students: 16.9% (1,475 students)Male students: 14.5% (1,272 students)Overall Median$8,750
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($8,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

29% of students who start here finish within six years, and 58% 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
29%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
58%
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 $38,719 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)
$38,719
Earning > $25K
66%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$31,000$33,000$35,000$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
$29,100

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

Male graduates
$37,000

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $7,900, about 21% 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 ↑ 19.3 pts across 6 years
45.7%1yr53.2%3yr45.2%5yr64.9%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 65% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 400 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 47% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
400
Part-Time
26%
First-Generation
47%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 46.0% 184
White 35.8% 143
International 8.0% 32
Other 4.5% 18
Black 4.0% 16
Asian 0.8% 3
Hispanic: 46.0% (184 students)White: 35.8% (143 students)International: 8.0% (32 students)Other: 4.5% (18 students)Black: 4.0% (16 students)Asian: 0.8% (3 students)Total400

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Town: Remote Lamar, Colorado
Housing
Strongly residential 293 beds for 400 students
Adult Learners
12% 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 Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Lamar Community College offers a varied set of programs: 14 distinct programs across 7 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
3 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 14 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$9,473
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$43,549
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

23 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 23 100% $43,549

Pros & Cons of Lamar Community College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Lamar 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
  • 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
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for: Based on the data, Lamar Community College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lamar Community College

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

How much does Lamar Community College cost?
Budget around $9,161 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 Lamar Community College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $38,719 a year against a net price of $9,161, about 4.2 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 Lamar Community College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Agricultural and Domestic Animal. 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 Lamar Community College graduates earn?
About $38,719 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 Lamar Community College accredited?
Yes. Lamar Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Lamar Community College?
400 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 Lamar Community College?
29% 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 Lamar Community College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Lamar Community College located?
Lamar Community College is located in Lamar, Colorado.
What programs does Lamar Community College offer?
14 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Agricultural and Domestic Animal. 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 Lamar Community College?
14 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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