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Southwest Tennessee Community College

Public Associate Good 62/100

Southwest Tennessee Community College

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

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Memphis, Tennessee

About Southwest Tennessee Community College

Thinking about Southwest Tennessee Community College, a college in Tennessee 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.

Southwest Tennessee Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Memphis, Tennessee. It enrolls 5,047 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.

Official website: southwest.tn.edu

Acceptance: Open
Graduation: 9.2%
Net Price: $4,754
Median Earnings (10yr): $34,071
Enrollment: 5,047
Student : Faculty: 19:1

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

62/100

UCD Score · 2-Year

Outcomes 6

Value 84

Affordability 73

Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Southwest Tennessee 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 $4,754 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

$4,754

Per year, after typical aid

Receive Pell Grants

41%

Need-based federal aid

Receive Federal Loans

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): $4,778
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state): $17,750
Room & Board (off-campus): $9,431
Books & Supplies: $1,545
Other Expenses (off-campus): $2,990
Total Cost of Attendance: $12,999

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

$4,286
$30,001 – $48,000

$4,304
$48,001 – $75,000

$6,567
$75,001 – $110,000

$6,796
Over $110,000

$6,815

What this means: Aid reaches a meaningful share of the student body: 41% of students receive Pell grants. If your family qualifies for Pell, the real cost to you could be substantially lower than the average.

Graduation Rate & Retention

9% of students who start here finish within six years, and 49% 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

Of students who graduate within six years

First-Year Retention

49%

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 $34,071 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)

$34,071

Earning > $25K

57%

10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

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

$27,800

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

Male graduates

$32,200

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

What this means: Strong return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$7.2 of median earnings 10 years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 5,047 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 46% are the first in their family to go to college, and 45% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled

5,047

Part-Time

45%

First-Generation

46%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents

Black 63.1% 3,182

White 20.2% 1,021

Hispanic 9.7% 491

Other 3.2% 161

Asian 2.0% 101

International 0.7% 36

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting

Large City Memphis, Tennessee

Housing

Commuter campus No on-campus housing

Adult Learners

29% of students are 25 or older

Athletics

NCAA athletic-conference member

Academic Calendar

Semester scheduling structure

Designation

Predominantly Black Institution (PBI)

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.

Southwest Tennessee Community College offers a varied set of programs: 26 distinct programs across 13 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

Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts $53K ($36K–$73K)

7 Programs

Health

Nursing $89K ($68K–$114K)
Allied Health Diagnostic $71K ($51K–$96K)
Allied Health Diagnostic $71K ($51K–$96K)

4 Programs

Business

Business Administration $68K ($48K–$94K)
Accounting $76K ($56K–$97K)
Hospitality Management $57K ($41K–$74K)

1 Program

Computer Science

Information Systems $92K ($64K–$128K)

4 Programs

Engineering Tech

2 Programs

Visual & Performing Arts

Design $51K ($33K–$71K)
Visual & Performing Arts $42K ($26K–$60K)

1 Program

Mechanics & Repair

Vehicle Maintenance $81K ($63K–$104K)

View all majors View all programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 19 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty

19:1

Students per instructional faculty member

Instruction / Student

$5,138

Annual instructional spending per enrolled student

Endowment

$1.9M

Modest endowment

Avg Faculty Salary

$60,102

9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

164 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	23	14%	$77,278
Associate Professors	56	34%	$65,551
Assistant Professors	57	35%	$54,463
Instructors	27	16%	$46,447
No Rank	1	1%	$50,004

Pros & Cons of Southwest Tennessee Community College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Southwest Tennessee 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, Southwest Tennessee 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 Southwest Tennessee Community College

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

Is Southwest Tennessee Community College hard to get into?

Not especially. Southwest Tennessee 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 Southwest Tennessee 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 Southwest Tennessee Community College cost?

Budget around $4,754 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 Southwest Tennessee Community College worth it?

On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $34,071 a year against a net price of $4,754, about 7.2 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 Southwest Tennessee Community College known for?

Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business 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 Southwest Tennessee Community College graduates earn?

About $34,071 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 Southwest Tennessee Community College accredited?

Yes. Southwest Tennessee Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

How many students attend Southwest Tennessee Community College?

5,047 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

What is the graduation rate at Southwest Tennessee Community College?

9% 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 Southwest Tennessee Community College a public or private college?

It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.

Where is Southwest Tennessee Community College located?

Southwest Tennessee Community College is located in Memphis, Tennessee.

What programs does Southwest Tennessee Community College offer?

26 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business 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 Southwest Tennessee Community College?

19 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.