Public · Community college
Hocking College
Nelsonville, Ohio · Fringe rural
- 13%
- Transfer rate
- $13,704
- Avg net price
- 37%
- Grad / completion
- $37,791
- Median earnings
Hocking College is a public associate-granting institution in Nelsonville, Ohio (fringe rural setting), enrolling 1,311 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Nelsonville, Ohio
Nelsonville is a city in northwestern Athens County, Ohio, United States, located about 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Columbus. First settled in 1814 by Daniel Nelson, Nelsonville was incorporated in 1838 with Charles Cable as its first mayor. Nelsonville blossomed into a classic Appalachian town by the mid-19th century, relying on the extractive industries of coal, clay and salt. Nelsonville's Public Square, adorned with local Star Bricks, is home to several shops, restaurants, business offices and financial institutions. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Fringe rural
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 55 miles to Columbus, OH
- To Great Lakes shore
- 135 miles
- Nearest airport
- 42 miles to Mid Ohio Valley (PKB)
How Hocking College compares
Higher than 22% · #133 of 168 in Ohio
Higher than 7%
Higher than 59% · #76 of 157 in Ohio
Cheaper than 55% · #64 cheapest of 155 in Ohio
Lower than 32%
Lower than 73%
Larger than 76%
Percentiles compare Hocking 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 Ohio.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women53841%
- Men77359%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White77%
- Black11%
- Hispanic2.9%
- Other or multiracial9.1%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,311
- Student–faculty ratio
- 12 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 46%
- First-generation students
- 45%
- Students over 25
- 17%
- Median family income
- $28,100
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $48,636
- Endowment
- $5,635,737
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 472 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Ohio87%
- Other U.S. states8.5%
- International4.7%
Most first-years stay in state — Hocking College draws overwhelmingly from Ohio.
5% came from outside the U.S. 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
- $5,540
- Out-of-state tuition
- $10,290
- Room & board
- $10,060
- Books & supplies
- $600
- Total cost of attendance
- $19,171
- Average net price
- $13,704
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
- 37%
- First-year retention
- 43%
- Transferred to another college
- 13%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $33,544
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $37,791
- Median debt at graduation
- $11,584
- Students with federal loans
- 50%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 30%
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
- 756
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 58%
- Housing charge (year)
- $5,680
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,380
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division III
- Varsity athletes
- 268 (222 men · 46 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 (9)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- D
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 7.6 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 32
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (1,486 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: 34% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,598. 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 544 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)
- $37,791
- Typical debt at graduation
- $11,584
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 31%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 41%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.1 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 $12,514 (40%) 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
- 82°F
- Winter low
- 22°F
- Annual rain
- 41.6″
- Annual snow
- 17.6″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Athens OU, OH US station (10.5 mi from campus).
What Hocking 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 Hocking College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Hocking College side by side →
Northwest State Community College
Archbold, Ohio · Distant rural · 42 mi to Toledo
- Students
- 1,115
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $40k
Terra State Community College
Fremont, Ohio · Fringe rural · 29 mi to Toledo
- Students
- 1,028
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 30%
- Earnings
- $37k
Central Ohio Technical College
Newark, Ohio · Small suburb · 30 mi to Columbus
- Students
- 1,941
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $39k
Southern State Community College
Hillsboro, Ohio · Distant town · 47 mi to Dayton
- Students
- 761
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $35k
James A. Rhodes State College
Lima, Ohio · Fringe rural · 63 mi to Fort Wayne
- Students
- 1,590
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $42k
Kent State University at Salem
Salem, Ohio · Fringe rural · 19 mi to Youngstown
- Students
- 1,164
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 18%
- Earnings
- $45k
Colleges near Hocking College
Tri-County Adult Career Center
Nelsonville, OH · Public · Certificate · 7 students
Ohio University-Main Campus
Athens, OH · Public · Bachelor's · 19,633 students
Ohio University-Lancaster Campus
Lancaster, OH · Public · Bachelor's · 691 students
Mid-EastCTC-Adult Education
Zanesville, OH · Public · Certificate · 356 students
Ohio University-Zanesville Campus
Zanesville, OH · Public · Associate · 560 students
Zane State College
Zanesville, OH · Public · Associate · 715 students
Ohio Christian University
Circleville, OH · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 862 students
Washington County Career Center-Adult Technical Training
Marietta, OH · Public · Certificate · 193 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.













