Public · Community college

Jefferson College

Hillsboro, Missouri · Fringe rural

15%
Transfer rate
$7,378
Avg net price
38%
Grad / completion
$40,782
Median earnings

Jefferson College is a public associate-granting institution in Hillsboro, Missouri (fringe rural setting), enrolling 2,552 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicMidsize · 2,552 undergradsFringe ruralNJCAA Division ICold winters

About Hillsboro, Missouri

Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. Hillsboro was originally called Monticello, and under the latter name was platted in 1839, and named after Monticello, home of President Thomas Jefferson. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Fringe rural
Highest degree offered
Associate
To Great Lakes shore
287 miles
Nearest airport
35 miles to St. Louis Lambert (STL) · major hub

How Jefferson College compares

Graduation rate38%

Higher than 24% · #62 of 70 in Missouri

First-year retention69%

Higher than 41%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$40,782

Higher than 71% · #18 of 62 in Missouri

Average net price$7,378

Cheaper than 81% · #10 cheapest of 68 in Missouri

Median debt at graduation$9,285

Lower than 64%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 62%

Undergraduate enrollment2,552

Larger than 84%

Percentiles compare Jefferson 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 Missouri.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

2,552undergrads
  • Women1,55661%
  • Men99639%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White87%
  • Black3.0%
  • Hispanic3.6%
  • Asian1.3%
  • Other or multiracial4.8%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,552
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
30%
First-generation students
46%
Students over 25
16%
Median family income
$26,098
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$70,344
Endowment
$688,808

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 915 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Missouri98%
  • Other U.S. states1.3%

Most first-years stay in state — Jefferson College draws overwhelmingly from Missouri.

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
$5,250
Out-of-state tuition
$8,850
Room & board
$9,388
Books & supplies
$720
Total cost of attendance
$13,572
Average net price
$7,378

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
38%
First-year retention
69%
Transferred to another college
15%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$34,913
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$40,782
Median debt at graduation
$9,285
Students with federal loans
8%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
33%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
38%
Low-income (Pell)
18%
First-generation
18%

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
204
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
8%
Housing charge (year)
$4,400
Meal plan (year)
$2,566
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NJCAA Division I
Varsity athletes
160 (85 men · 75 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 (7)

Soccer41
Baseball33
Basketball27
Cross Country19
Softball18
Volleyball13
Other Sports9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
11
Property offenses (2022–2024)
7

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (3,775 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.

6.0reported offenses a year
3.7 violent a year2.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault
2.3
Burglary
1.7
Rape
0.7
Fondling
0.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.3
Arson
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
$6,048
$30–48k
$5,745
$48–75k
$8,614
$75–110k
$9,711
$110k+
$10,568

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.

13%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,620
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 13% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,620. 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 722 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)
$40,782
Typical debt at graduation
$9,285
Debt vs. one year's pay
23%
Out-earn a HS grad
44%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.3 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
$35,825
Men
$48,868

Men out-earn women by $13,043 (36%) 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
88°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
43.6″
Annual snow
9.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.54.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Festus, MO US station (8.9 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 Jefferson College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Jefferson College side by side →

Colleges near Jefferson 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.