Public · Community college

J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College

Huntsville, Alabama · Midsize city

16%
Transfer rate: $6,005
Avg net price: 14%
Grad / completion: $28,281
Median earnings

J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College is a public certificate-granting institution in Huntsville, Alabama (midsize city setting), enrolling 755 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicSmall · 755 undergradsMidsize city

About Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. An Indian trader and boatman named James Ditto established himself at a landing on the river prior to American settlement. Revolutionary War veteran John Hunt was a pioneer in 1805 on land around the Big Spring. Twickenham Historic District was chosen as the name of the first of three of the city's historic districts. It features homes in the Federal and Greek Revival architectural styles introduced to the city by Virginia-born architect George Steele about 1818. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Midsize city
Highest degree offered: Associate
Nearest big city: 3 miles to Huntsville, AL
To the ocean: 289 miles
Nearest airport: 15 miles to Huntsville (HSV)

How J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College compares

Graduation rate14%

Higher than 2% · #39 of 41 in Alabama

First-year retention51%

Higher than 12%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$28,281

Higher than 27% · #29 of 33 in Alabama

Average net price$6,005

Cheaper than 86% · #11 cheapest of 38 in Alabama

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 67%

Undergraduate enrollment755

Larger than 69%

Percentiles compare J. F. Drake State Community and Technical 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 Alabama.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

Women42456%
Men33144%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White22%
Black60%
Hispanic7.8%
Asian0.7%
Other or multiracial9.3%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 755
Student–faculty ratio: 13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 44%
First-generation students: 59%
Students over 25: 37%
Median family income: $13,959
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $59,931

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 147 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

From Alabama98%
Other U.S. states1.5%

Most first-years stay in state — J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College draws overwhelmingly from Alabama.

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: $5,190
Out-of-state tuition: $9,060
Room & board: —
Books & supplies: $2,000
Total cost of attendance: $14,456
Average net price: $6,005

Outcomes

Graduated: 14%
First-year retention: 51%
Transferred to another college: 16%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $27,211
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $28,281
Median debt at graduation: —
Students with federal loans: 0%

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing: No
Application fee: Free

Campus safety

Safety grade: A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students: 0.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024): 0
Property offenses (2022–2024): 0

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

$5,916

$30–48k

$4,108

$48–75k

$8,546

$75–110k

$7,763

$110k+

—

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.

31%

of first-years get a grant from the school

$3,337

average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 31% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,337. 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 68 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): $28,281
Typical debt at graduation: —
Debt vs. one year's pay: —
Out-earn a HS grad: 30%

Weigh it value

The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.

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

$26,541

Men

$30,467

Men out-earn women by $3,926 (15%) 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: 92°F
Winter low: 33°F
Annual rain: 54.3″
Annual snow: 2.4″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Huntsville Intl AP, AL US station (15 mi from campus).

What J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College graduates study — and earn

Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansCert.

46 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

46———Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssoc.

35 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

35———Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCert.

31 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

31———Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansAssoc.

19 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

19———Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCert.

18 grads— 1 yr$55k 5 yr— debt

18—$55,022—Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCert.

8 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

8———Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralAssoc.

7 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

7———Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesAssoc.

7 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

7———Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssoc.

7 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

7———Business Administration, Management and OperationsCert.

5 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

5———Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansAssoc.

4 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

4———Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssoc.

3 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

3———

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 J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College side by side →

George C Wallace State Community College-Selma

Public

Selma, Alabama · Distant town · 42 mi to Montgomery

Students: 855
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 14%
Earnings: $32k

H Councill Trenholm State Community College

Public

Montgomery, Alabama · Midsize city · 3 mi to Montgomery

Students: 1,674
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 18%
Earnings: $32k

Bishop State Community College

Public

Mobile, Alabama · Midsize city · 1 mi to Mobile

Students: 2,437
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 30%
Earnings: $30k

Bevill State Community College

Public

Jasper, Alabama · Distant town · 34 mi to Birmingham

Students: 2,177
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 19%
Earnings: $34k

Lawson State Community College

Public

Birmingham, Alabama · Midsize city · 7 mi to Birmingham

Students: 2,900
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 7%
Earnings: $32k

Central Louisiana Technical Community College

Public

Alexandria, Louisiana · Small city · 79 mi to Lafayette

Students: 1,078
Tuition: $4k
Transfer: 6%
Earnings: $30k

Colleges near J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College

Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL · Public · Bachelor's · 6,124 students

1 mi

Huntsville Bible College

Huntsville, AL · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 64 students

2 mi

Oakwood University

Huntsville, AL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,153 students

5 mi

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Huntsville, AL · Public · Bachelor's · 6,591 students

5 mi

The Salon Professional Academy-Huntsville

Huntsville, AL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 53 students

5 mi

Ross Medical Education Center-Huntsville

Huntsville, AL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 132 students

6 mi

Athens State University

Athens, AL · Public · Bachelor's · 2,446 students

22 mi

John C Calhoun State Community College

Tanner, AL · Public · Certificate · 7,070 students

23 mi

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.