Public Bachelor's Strong 74/100

Odessa College

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

Compare This College

Odessa, Texas

About Odessa College

Thinking about Odessa College, a college in Texas 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.

Odessa College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Odessa, Texas. It enrolls 4,654 students (a mid-sized 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
20.9%
Net Price
$6,368
Median Earnings (10yr)
$42,026
Enrollment
4,654
Student : Faculty
24:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on 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 (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
74/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 50
Value 85
Affordability 50
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Odessa 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 Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.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 $6,368 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
$6,368
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
22%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
2%
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)
$2,688
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$4,926
Room & Board (on-campus)
$6,930
Room & Board (off-campus)
$15,139
Books & Supplies
$450
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,269
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,369
Total Cost of Attendance
$13,086

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
    $5,648
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $6,001
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $8,407
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $9,864
  • Over $110,000
    $10,586

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.

$1,533
10% percentile
$2,861
25% percentile
$7,750
Median percentile
$9,500
75% percentile
$17,250
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 $7,167 ↓ $583
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $2,250
Dependent students $4,271 ↓ $3,479
Independent students $9,112 ↑ $1,362
Female students $7,092 ↓ $658
Male students $5,500 ↓ $2,250
Pell recipients: 18.5% (1,437 students)No Pell: 14.2% (1,103 students)Dependent students: 11.1% (857 students)Independent students: 23.6% (1,827 students)Female students: 18.4% (1,422 students)Male students: 14.2% (1,103 students)Overall Median$7,750
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,504, close to what completers borrow ($7,750) but without the degree to show for it.

Graduation Rate & Retention

21% of students who start here finish within six years, and 63% 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
21%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
63%
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 $42,026 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)
$42,026
Earning > $25K
66%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$34,000$36,000$38,000$41,000$43,0006 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
$32,200

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

Male graduates
$62,500

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $30,300, about 48% 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 ↑ 6.8 pts across 6 years
62.7%1yr61.8%3yr69.4%5yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 69% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 4,654 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 57% are the first in their family to go to college, and 45% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
4,654
Part-Time
45%
First-Generation
57%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 68.3% 3,180
White 20.2% 938
Black 6.3% 295
International 1.8% 82
Asian 1.1% 53
Other 0.5% 21
Hispanic: 68.3% (3,180 students)White: 20.2% (938 students)Black: 6.3% (295 students)International: 1.8% (82 students)Asian: 1.1% (53 students)Other: 0.5% (21 students)Total4,654

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Midsize City Odessa, Texas
Housing
Limited on-campus housing 238 beds
Adult Learners
20% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

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.

Odessa College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 51 distinct programs across 23 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
6 Programs
4 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 24 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.

Student : Faculty
24:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,420
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$21M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$64,303
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

127 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 9% $81,925
Associate Professors 46 36% $67,984
Assistant Professors 13 10% $72,714
Instructors 57 45% $56,014

Pros & Cons of Odessa College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Odessa 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
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for: Based on the data, Odessa College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Odessa College

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

How much does Odessa College cost?
Budget around $6,368 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 Odessa College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $42,026 a year against a net price of $6,368, about 6.6 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 Odessa College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12). 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 Odessa College graduates earn?
About $42,026 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 Odessa College accredited?
Yes. Odessa College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Odessa College?
4,654 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Odessa College?
21% 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 Odessa College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Odessa College located?
Odessa College is located in Odessa, Texas.
What programs does Odessa College offer?
51 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12). 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 Odessa College?
24 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.