Southern State Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Hillsboro, Ohio. It enrolls 761 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.
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
57/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes33
Value51
Affordability35
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Southern State Community 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 Southern State 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 $9,674 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$9,674
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
22%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
13%
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)
$5,912
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$10,818
Room & Board (off-campus)
$6,928
Books & Supplies
$1,632
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,776
Total Cost of Attendance
$15,244
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
$8,099
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,950
$48,001 – $75,000
$10,926
$75,001 – $110,000
$13,478
Over $110,000
$10,805
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.
$1,39810%percentile
$2,87225%percentile
$11,457Medianpercentile
$12,00075%percentile
$19,26590%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 $7,441
↓ $4,016
No Pell $7,088
↓ $4,369
Dependent students $6,286
↓ $5,171
Independent students $8,273
↓ $3,184
Female students $7,806
↓ $3,651
Male students $6,287
↓ $5,170
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,721, less than completers ($11,457), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
19% of full-time students who enrolled at Southern State Community College graduate within six years, and 61% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
19%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
61%
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 Southern State Community College earn a median of $35,463 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$35,463
Earning > $25K
59%
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
$27,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$39,500
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$26,900
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$33,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$38,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,800, about 30% 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 ↑
16.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 57% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Southern State Community College is home to 761 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 52% are first-generation college students, 61% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
761
Part-Time
61%
First-Generation
52%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 89.9%684
Black 3.7%28
Other 3.6%27
Hispanic 1.8%14
Asian 0.1%1
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Southern State Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Town: DistantHillsboro, Ohio
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
16%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Southern State Community College offers
a varied set of programs:
15 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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Southern State Community College is 18:1, on the higher side.
Student : Faculty
18:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,631
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$3.4M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$57,890
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
35 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
3
9%
$81,936
Associate Professors
13
37%
$69,791
Assistant Professors
8
23%
$58,652
Instructors
11
31%
$49,682
Pros & Cons of Southern State Community College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Southern State Community 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
Tight-knit, close community feel
Low typical debt at graduation
First-gen-friendly student body
Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
Class sizes are on the higher side
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, Southern State 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 Southern State Community College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Southern State Community College.
Is Southern State Community College hard to get into?
Southern State Community College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Southern State Community College?
Southern State Community College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Southern State Community College cost?
The average net price after aid at Southern State Community College is $9,674 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southern State Community College worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $35,463 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $9,674 per year. That's roughly 3.7x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Southern State Community College known for?
Southern State Community College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Southern State Community College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Southern State Community College are $35,463, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Southern State Community College accredited?
Yes. Southern State Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Southern State Community College?
Southern State Community College enrolls 761 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Southern State Community College?
Southern State Community College graduates 19% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Southern State Community College a public or private college?
Southern State Community College is a Public institution.
Where is Southern State Community College located?
Southern State Community College is located in Hillsboro, Ohio.
What programs does Southern State Community College offer?
Southern State Community College offers 15 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Southern State Community College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Southern State Community College is 18:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Ohio
Other colleges in Ohio 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.
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.
