Public · Community college
Carl Albert State College
Poteau, Oklahoma · Distant town
- 4%
- Transfer rate
- $14,607
- Avg net price
- 43%
- Grad / completion
- $34,117
- Median earnings
Carl Albert State College is a public associate-granting institution in Poteau, Oklahoma (distant town setting), enrolling 1,308 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Poteau, Oklahoma
Poteau is a city in and the county seat of LeFlore County, Oklahoma, United States. The present-day city was founded in 1885, its name derived from the nearby Poteau River. During the late 1700s, a large French outpost was at Belle Point (Ft. Smith). Further up the Poteau River was a secondary post at the base of Cavanal Mountain. Twyman Park offers picnic tables and shelters, a playground, tennis courts, a small pond, and a pool. Other city facilities include the Poteau Area Recreational Complex for sports events, as well as Bill J. Barber Park and Dunbar Park. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Distant town
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 76 miles to Fayetteville, AR
- To the ocean
- 352 miles
- Nearest airport
- 25 miles to Fort Smith (FSM)
How Carl Albert State College compares
Higher than 29% · #51 of 67 in Oklahoma
Higher than 1%
Higher than 46% · #30 of 61 in Oklahoma
Cheaper than 52% · #44 cheapest of 62 in Oklahoma
Lower than 64%
Lower than 18%
Larger than 76%
Percentiles compare Carl Albert State College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Oklahoma.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women81362%
- Men49538%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White42%
- Black1.8%
- Hispanic11%
- Asian0.6%
- Other or multiracial45%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,308
- Student–faculty ratio
- 23 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 54%
- First-generation students
- 52%
- Students over 25
- 24%
- Median family income
- $22,242
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $48,447
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 233 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Oklahoma99%
- Other U.S. states0.9%
Most first-years stay in state — Carl Albert State College draws overwhelmingly from Oklahoma.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $4,380
- Out-of-state tuition
- $9,098
- Room & board
- $5,909
- Books & supplies
- $1,700
- Total cost of attendance
- $23,617
- Average net price
- $14,607
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 43%
- First-year retention
- 10%
- Transferred to another college
- 4%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $30,375
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $34,117
- Median debt at graduation
- $9,362
- Students with federal loans
- 14%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 43%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 300
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 23%
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division II
- Varsity athletes
- 185 (106 men · 79 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (5)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.4 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 3
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 5
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,851 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 28% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,400. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 337 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $34,117
- Typical debt at graduation
- $9,362
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 27%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 39%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $9,440 (31%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 93°F
- Winter low
- 27°F
- Annual rain
- 47.3″
- Annual snow
- 2.9″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Wister 3S, OK US station (7.8 mi from campus).
What Carl Albert State College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Carl Albert State College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Carl Albert State College side by side →
Seminole State College
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- Transfer
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Langston University
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Northeast Technology Center
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Francis Tuttle Technology Center
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Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College
Miami, Oklahoma · Distant town · 69 mi to Fayetteville
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- Transfer
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- Earnings
- $38k
Colleges near Carl Albert State College
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Fort Smith, AR · Private nonprofit · Graduate
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University of Arkansas Community College Rich Mountain
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Eastern Oklahoma State College
Wilburton, OK · Public · Associate · 964 students
Connors State College
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Kiamichi Technology Center-McAlester
McAlester, OK · Public · Certificate · 540 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.