Panola College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Carthage, Texas. It enrolls 1,388 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
68/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes33
Value82
Affordability60
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Panola College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Panola College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $5,216 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$5,216
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
31%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
7%
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)
$2,352
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$5,232
Room & Board (on-campus)
$7,048
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,500
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$7,026
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,026
Total Cost of Attendance
$13,654
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
$4,916
$30,001 – $48,000
$4,838
$48,001 – $75,000
$6,855
$75,001 – $110,000
$6,519
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.
$1,75010%percentile
$2,75025%percentile
$10,500Medianpercentile
$9,63675%percentile
$16,24990%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 $6,601
↓ $3,899
No Pell $5,500
↓ $5,000
Dependent students $5,500
↓ $5,000
Independent students $8,250
↓ $2,250
Female students $6,500
↓ $4,000
Male students $5,500
↓ $5,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($10,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
22% of full-time students who enrolled at Panola College graduate within six years, and 57% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
22%
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
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Panola College earn a median of $36,072 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$36,072
Earning > $25K
61%
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
$34,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$53,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $19,800, about 37% 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.
Stable ↑
4.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 65% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Panola College is home to 1,388 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 51% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
1,388
Part-Time
38%
First-Generation
51%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 50.8%705
Black 22.6%313
Hispanic 19.5%270
Other 4.4%61
International 1.8%25
Asian 1.0%14
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Panola College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Town: DistantCarthage, Texas
Housing
Partly residential249 beds available
Adult Learners
18%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Panola College offers
a varied set of programs:
22 distinct programs across
11 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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Panola College is 12:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,745
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$14M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$58,208
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
71 instructional faculty across 2 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
51
72%
$60,024
Instructors
20
28%
$53,576
Pros & Cons of Panola College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Panola College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Open admissions
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Tight-knit, close community feel
Low typical debt at graduation
First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
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, Panola 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; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Panola College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Panola College.
Is Panola College hard to get into?
Panola College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Panola College?
Panola College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Panola College cost?
The average net price after aid at Panola College is $5,216 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Panola College worth it?
Strong return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $36,072 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $5,216 per year. That's roughly 6.9x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Panola College known for?
Panola College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Nursing, Practical Nursing. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Panola College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Panola College are $36,072, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Panola College accredited?
Yes. Panola College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Panola College?
Panola College enrolls 1,388 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Panola College?
Panola College graduates 22% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Panola College a public or private college?
Panola College is a Public institution.
Where is Panola College located?
Panola College is located in Carthage, Texas.
What programs does Panola College offer?
Panola College offers 22 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Nursing, Practical Nursing.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Panola College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Panola College is 12:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Texas
Other colleges in Texas share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Liberal Arts
Nursing
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science
Related Guides
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.