South Mountain Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Phoenix, Arizona. It enrolls 3,645 students (a mid-sized 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.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Open / Online). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Fair
51/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes12
Value47
Affordability41
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Admissions data is not yet reported for South Mountain Community College.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending South Mountain Community 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 $12,780 per year. That's below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$12,780
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
30%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
8%
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)
$2,358
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$8,958
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,872
Books & Supplies
$1,104
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$11,304
Total Cost of Attendance
$18,898
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
$11,902
$30,001 – $48,000
$11,932
$48,001 – $75,000
$13,987
$75,001 – $110,000
$17,329
Over $110,000
$17,132
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
$2,50025%percentile
$8,000Medianpercentile
$10,00075%percentile
$19,58890%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 $4,750
↓ $3,250
No Pell $3,500
↓ $4,500
Dependent students $3,500
↓ $4,500
Independent students $5,000
↓ $3,000
Female students $4,500
↓ $3,500
Male students $4,375
↓ $3,625
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $4,500, less than completers ($8,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
4% of full-time students who enrolled at South Mountain Community College graduate within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
4%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
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 South Mountain Community College earn a median of $39,825 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$39,825
Earning > $25K
65%
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
$29,800
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$39,300
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,500, about 24% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
What this means:
Solid return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$3.1 of median earnings 10 years out.
Who Studies Here
South Mountain Community College is home to 3,645 students, a mid-sized community. Some distinctive traits: 59% are first-generation college students, 62% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
3,645
Part-Time
62%
First-Generation
59%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 56.7%2,068
White 16.5%602
Black 14.4%523
Other 8.1%296
Asian 2.2%79
International 0.3%10
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at South Mountain Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large CityPhoenix, Arizona
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
28%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
What You Can Study
South Mountain Community College offers
a varied set of programs:
38 distinct programs across
18 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 South Mountain Community College is 17:1, on the higher side.
Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$3,780
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$92,592
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
52 instructional faculty across 1 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
No Rank
52
100%
$92,592
Pros & Cons of South Mountain Community College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how South Mountain Community College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Low typical debt at graduation
First-gen-friendly student body
Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
Class sizes are on the higher side
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, South Mountain Community College is a fit for
working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about South Mountain Community College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about South Mountain Community College.
How much does South Mountain Community College cost?
The average net price after aid at South Mountain Community College is $12,780 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is South Mountain Community College worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $39,825 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $12,780 per year. That's roughly 3.1x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is South Mountain Community College known for?
South Mountain Community College is best known for its programs in Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, Business Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do South Mountain Community College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering South Mountain Community College are $39,825, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is South Mountain Community College accredited?
Yes. South Mountain Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend South Mountain Community College?
South Mountain Community College enrolls 3,645 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at South Mountain Community College?
South Mountain Community College graduates 4% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is South Mountain Community College a public or private college?
South Mountain Community College is a Public institution.
Where is South Mountain Community College located?
South Mountain Community College is located in Phoenix, Arizona.
What programs does South Mountain Community College offer?
South Mountain Community College offers 38 distinct programs. The most popular include Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, Business Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at South Mountain Community College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at South Mountain Community College is 17:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Arizona
Other colleges in Arizona 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.
Allied Health Diagnostic
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
Clinical/Medical Laboratory
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.
