Public Associate Good 61/100

South Plains College

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

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Levelland, Texas

About South Plains College

Thinking about South Plains 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.

South Plains College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Levelland, Texas. It enrolls 6,005 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
Open
Graduation
15.8%
Net Price
$6,791
Median Earnings (10yr)
$41,276
Enrollment
6,005
Student : Faculty
16:1

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.

Good
61/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 12
Value 76
Affordability 63
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, South Plains 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 $6,791 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
$6,791
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
38%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
15%
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)
$2,731
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$5,155
Room & Board (on-campus)
$5,481
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,232
Books & Supplies
$1,255
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,756
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$8,191
Total Cost of Attendance
$13,784

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
    $5,394
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $5,369
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $8,721
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $12,059
  • Over $110,000
    $13,314

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.

$1,862
10% percentile
$3,000
25% percentile
$10,500
Median percentile
$12,000
75% percentile
$22,138
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 $7,611 ↓ $2,889
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $5,000
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $5,000
Independent students $9,500 ↓ $1,000
Female students $7,510 ↓ $2,990
Male students $5,794 ↓ $4,706
Pell recipients: 18.4% (1,930 students)No Pell: 13.3% (1,394 students)Dependent students: 13.3% (1,394 students)Independent students: 22.9% (2,409 students)Female students: 18.1% (1,904 students)Male students: 14.0% (1,469 students)Overall Median$10,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,334, less than completers ($10,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

16% of students who start here finish within six years, and 50% 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
16%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
50%
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 $41,276 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)
$41,276
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$40,000$42,0006 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
$32,100

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

Male graduates
$51,400

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$36,300

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

Family income (middle third)
$44,200

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

Family income (highest third)
$49,900

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $19,300, about 38% 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 ↑ 20.0 pts across 6 years
47.8%1yr53.1%3yr61.4%5yr67.8%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 68% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 6,005 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 54% are the first in their family to go to college, and 40% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
6,005
Part-Time
40%
First-Generation
54%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 53.9% 3,238
White 33.9% 2,035
Black 8.1% 488
Asian 2.1% 123
Other 1.8% 105
International 0.2% 14
Hispanic: 53.9% (3,238 students)White: 33.9% (2,035 students)Black: 8.1% (488 students)Asian: 2.1% (123 students)Other: 1.8% (105 students)International: 0.2% (14 students)Total6,005

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Town: Distant Levelland, Texas
Housing
Limited on-campus housing 779 beds
Adult Learners
22% 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 Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

South Plains College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 55 distinct programs across 27 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
6 Programs
6 Programs
2 Programs
5 Programs
2 Programs

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
$6,112
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$30M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$59,026
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

258 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 48 19% $67,956
Associate Professors 44 17% $59,572
Assistant Professors 72 28% $57,725
Instructors 94 36% $55,207

Pros & Cons of South Plains College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where South Plains 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
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • 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, South Plains 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 South Plains College

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

Is South Plains College hard to get into?
Not especially. South Plains 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 South Plains 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 South Plains College cost?
Budget around $6,791 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 Plains College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $41,276 a year against a net price of $6,791, about 6.1 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 Plains College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Cosmetology. 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 Plains College graduates earn?
About $41,276 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 Plains College accredited?
Yes. South Plains College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend South Plains College?
6,005 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at South Plains College?
16% 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 Plains College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is South Plains College located?
South Plains College is located in Levelland, Texas.
What programs does South Plains College offer?
55 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Cosmetology. 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 Plains College?
16 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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