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.

PublicSmall · 1,311 undergradsFringe ruralNJCAA Division IIICold winters

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

Graduation rate37%

Higher than 22% · #133 of 168 in Ohio

First-year retention43%

Higher than 7%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$37,791

Higher than 59% · #76 of 157 in Ohio

Average net price$13,704

Cheaper than 55% · #64 cheapest of 155 in Ohio

Median debt at graduation$11,584

Lower than 32%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 73%

Undergraduate enrollment1,311

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

1,311undergrads
  • 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)

All students
37%
Low-income (Pell)
17%
First-generation
19%

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)

Football131
Baseball37
Basketball28
Softball19
Other Sports19
Volleyball10
Golf9
Cross Country8
Archery7

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.

11reported offenses a year
0.7 violent a year11 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
10
Motor vehicle theft
0.7
Rape
0.3
Fondling
0.3

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.

< $30k
$11,364
$30–48k
$12,869
$48–75k
$13,253
$75–110k
$16,848
$110k+
$18,104

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.

34%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$1,598
average award, among those who get one

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.

Solid value

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.

Women
$31,169
Men
$43,683

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

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Athens OU, OH US station (10.5 mi from campus).

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 →

Colleges near Hocking College

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.