Private For-Profit Graduate Good 59/100

South College

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

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Knoxville, Tennessee

About South College

Thinking about South College, a college in Tennessee 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.

South College is a private for-profit institution offering graduate degrees based in Knoxville, Tennessee. It enrolls 8,745 students (a large 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
29.5%
Net Price
$17,858
Median Earnings (10yr)
$36,642
Enrollment
8,745
Student : Faculty
23:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Other Academic Year

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.

Good
59/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 49
Value 28
Affordability 49
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

South 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 Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.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 $17,858 a year on average, it sits below what private for-profit 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
$17,858
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
49%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
62%
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
$18,535
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,920
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,800
Total Cost of Attendance
$30,954

Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)


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
    $16,820
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $17,983
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $18,964
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $22,710
  • Over $110,000
    $23,053

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.

$2,940
10% percentile
$4,000
25% percentile
$18,668
Median percentile
$21,000
75% percentile
$38,109
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 $9,500 ↓ $9,168
No Pell $9,500 ↓ $9,168
Dependent students $7,166 ↓ $11,502
Independent students $9,500 ↓ $9,168
Female students $9,500 ↓ $9,168
Male students $8,100 ↓ $10,568
Pell recipients: 17.8% (3,329 students)No Pell: 17.8% (3,329 students)Dependent students: 13.5% (2,511 students)Independent students: 17.8% (3,329 students)Female students: 17.8% (3,329 students)Male students: 15.2% (2,839 students)Overall Median$18,668
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,334, less than completers ($18,668), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

29% of students who start here finish within six years, and 57% 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
57%
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 $36,642 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)
$36,642
Earning > $25K
61%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$36,500$37,000$37,500$38,000$38,5006 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
$28,300

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

Male graduates
$36,000

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$25,100

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

Family income (middle third)
$35,300

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

Family income (highest third)
$40,400

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $7,700, 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 ↑ 21.2 pts across 6 years
47.6%1yr53.8%3yr61.6%5yr68.8%7yr
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: 8,745 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 47% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
8,745
Part-Time
20%
First-Generation
47%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Black 43.5% 3,801
White 41.2% 3,606
Other 7.3% 640
International 3.3% 290
Hispanic 1.7% 151
Asian 1.5% 134
Black: 43.5% (3,801 students)White: 41.2% (3,606 students)Other: 7.3% (640 students)International: 3.3% (290 students)Hispanic: 1.7% (151 students)Asian: 1.5% (134 students)Total8,745

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Midsize City Knoxville, Tennessee
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
61% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Other Academic Year 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.

South College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 61 distinct programs across 9 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.

23 Programs
13 Programs
8 Programs
3 Programs
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 23 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.

Student : Faculty
23:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$77,166
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

384 instructional faculty across 5 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 19 5% $113,554
Associate Professors 56 15% $95,525
Assistant Professors 113 29% $79,346
Instructors 193 50% $66,563
No Rank 3 1% $104,015

Pros & Cons of South College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where South 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
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • 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
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • For-profit institution, verify accreditation and outcomes carefully

Frequently Asked Questions about South College

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

How much does South College cost?
Budget around $17,858 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 South College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $36,642 a year against a net price of $17,858, about 2.1 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 South College known for?
Mostly Health/Medical Preparatory, Nursing, Allied Health Diagnostic. 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 South College graduates earn?
About $36,642 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 South College accredited?
Yes. South College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend South College?
8,745 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at South 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 South College a public or private college?
It is Private For-Profit. Private for-profit, so compare completion and earnings carefully against a public alternative.
Where is South College located?
South College is located in Knoxville, Tennessee.
What programs does South College offer?
61 different programs, most commonly Health/Medical Preparatory, Nursing, Allied Health Diagnostic. 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 South College?
23 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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