Public · Community college

Northampton County Area Community College

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania · Large suburb

20%
Transfer rate
$12,119
Avg net price
24%
Grad / completion
$41,566
Median earnings

Northampton County Area Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (large suburb setting), enrolling 7,667 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicMidsize · 7,667 undergradsLarge suburbNJCAA Division IIICold wintersSnowy

About Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. On April 2, 1741, William Allen, a wealthy Philadelphia merchant and political figure, who later founded the city of Allentown, deeded 500 acres (200 ha) along the banks of the Monocacy Creek and Lehigh River to the Moravian Church. Bethlehem has a long historical relationship with the celebration of Christmas, which is prominently celebrated in the city annually. The city was christened as Bethlehem on Christmas Eve 1741 by Nicolaus Zinzendorf, a Moravian bishop. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Associate
To the ocean
48 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Lehigh Valley (ABE)

How Northampton County Area Community College compares

Graduation rate24%

Higher than 7% · #144 of 151 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention64%

Higher than 30%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$41,566

Higher than 75% · #58 of 137 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$12,119

Cheaper than 62% · #30 cheapest of 152 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$15,495

Lower than 13%

Student–faculty ratio19 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment7,667

Larger than 95%

Percentiles compare Northampton County Area Community 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 Pennsylvania.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

7,667undergrads
  • Women4,57160%
  • Men3,09640%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White40%
  • Black12%
  • Hispanic30%
  • Asian2.6%
  • Other or multiracial15%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
7,667
Student–faculty ratio
19 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
40%
First-generation students
48%
Students over 25
33%
Median family income
$26,727
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$73,926
Endowment
$88,746,619

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Cost

In-state tuition
$5,550
Out-of-state tuition
$15,270
Room & board
$10,770
Books & supplies
$1,800
Total cost of attendance
$18,119
Average net price
$12,119

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
24%
First-year retention
64%
Transferred to another college
20%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$36,571
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$41,566
Median debt at graduation
$15,495
Students with federal loans
28%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
37%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
24%
Low-income (Pell)
20%
First-generation
20%

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
575
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
7%
Housing charge (year)
$6,078
Meal plan (year)
$4,016
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NJCAA Division III
Varsity athletes
128 (91 men · 37 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 (6)

Baseball31
Basketball29
Soccer21
Volleyball21
Softball13
Wrestling13

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
24
Property offenses (2022–2024)
5

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (8,810 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.

9.7reported offenses a year
8.0 violent a year1.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
3.3
Fondling
2.3
Aggravated assault
2.3
Burglary
1.3
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
$8,986
$30–48k
$10,102
$48–75k
$13,016
$75–110k
$15,912
$110k+
$17,697

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.

18%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$1,409
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 18% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,409. 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 943 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)
$41,566
Typical debt at graduation
$15,495
Debt vs. one year's pay
37%
Out-earn a HS grad
46%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.7 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
$37,716
Men
$48,229

Men out-earn women by $10,513 (28%) 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
86°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
51″
Annual snow
33.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.85.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Phillipsburg-Easton Brg, NJ US station (6.7 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 Northampton County Area Community College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Northampton County Area Community College side by side →

Colleges near Northampton County Area Community 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.