Public Associate Strong 76/100

Somerset Community College

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

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Somerset, Kentucky

About Somerset Community College

Thinking about Somerset Community College, a college in Kentucky where more students graduate in Health 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.

Somerset Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Somerset, Kentucky. It enrolls 4,166 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
Open
Graduation
20.7%
Net Price
$4,398
Median Earnings (10yr)
$30,787
Enrollment
4,166
Student : Faculty
18:1

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 (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.

Strong
76/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 47
Value 83
Affordability 78
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Somerset 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 $4,398 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
$4,398
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
49%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
20%
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)
$4,728
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$6,432
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,814
Books & Supplies
$1,268
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,602
Total Cost of Attendance
$12,959

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
    $3,671
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $3,524
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $5,103
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $7,596
  • Over $110,000
    $9,860

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.

$1,919
10% percentile
$3,500
25% percentile
$12,215
Median percentile
$15,750
75% percentile
$27,100
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 $8,500 ↓ $3,715
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $6,715
Dependent students $5,600 ↓ $6,615
Independent students $10,379 ↓ $1,836
Female students $8,527 ↓ $3,688
Male students $6,581 ↓ $5,634
Pell recipients: 18.9% (2,303 students)No Pell: 12.2% (1,490 students)Dependent students: 12.4% (1,517 students)Independent students: 23.0% (2,812 students)Female students: 18.9% (2,310 students)Male students: 14.6% (1,783 students)Overall Median$12,215
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,500, less than completers ($12,215), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

21% of students who start here finish within six years, and 66% 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
66%
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 $30,787 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)
$30,787
Earning > $25K
52%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$27,500$28,500$29,500$30,500$31,0006 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
$24,200

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

Male graduates
$33,200

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$24,700

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

Family income (middle third)
$31,600

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

Family income (highest third)
$39,300

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $9,000, about 27% 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 ↑ 19.0 pts across 6 years
39%1yr46.2%3yr54.6%5yr58%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 58% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 4,166 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 56% are the first in their family to go to college, and 45% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
4,166
Part-Time
45%
First-Generation
56%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 90.1% 3,755
Hispanic 4.3% 181
Other 2.9% 122
Black 1.4% 60
Asian 0.7% 29
International 0.1% 3
White: 90.1% (3,755 students)Hispanic: 4.3% (181 students)Other: 2.9% (122 students)Black: 1.4% (60 students)Asian: 0.7% (29 students)International: 0.1% (3 students)Total4,166

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Town: Remote Somerset, Kentucky
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
30% 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 Liberal Arts graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Somerset Community College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 41 distinct programs across 14 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.

12 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 18 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
18:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$4,312
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$49,764
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

136 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 45 33% $58,994
Associate Professors 29 21% $49,563
Assistant Professors 15 11% $42,783
Instructors 47 35% $43,279

Pros & Cons of Somerset Community College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Somerset 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
  • Open admissions
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Below-average post-graduation earnings
Best for: Based on the data, Somerset Community College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Somerset Community College

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

Is Somerset Community College hard to get into?
Not especially. Somerset 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 Somerset 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 Somerset Community College cost?
Budget around $4,398 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 Somerset Community College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $30,787 a year against a net price of $4,398, about 7.0 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 Somerset Community College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Health Administration. 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 Somerset Community College graduates earn?
About $30,787 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 Somerset Community College accredited?
Yes. Somerset Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Somerset Community College?
4,166 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Somerset Community 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 Somerset Community College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Somerset Community College located?
Somerset Community College is located in Somerset, Kentucky.
What programs does Somerset Community College offer?
41 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Practical Nursing, Health Administration. 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 Somerset Community College?
18 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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