Public · Community college

Schenectady County Community College

Schenectady, New York · Small city

21%
Transfer rate: $8,947
Avg net price: 32%
Grad / completion: $40,902
Median earnings

Schenectady County Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Schenectady, New York (small city setting), enrolling 1,507 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicSmall · 1,507 undergradsSmall cityCold wintersSnowy

About Schenectady, New York

Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. In the 1640s, the Mohawk had three major villages, all on the Mohawk River's south side. The easternmost one was Ossernenon, about 9 miles west of present-day Auriesville, New York. Schenectady was a manufacturing center known as "the City that Lights and Hauls the World"—a reference to two prominent businesses in the city, the Edison Electric Company (now known as General Electric), and the American Locomotive Company. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Small city
Highest degree offered: Associate
Nearest big city: 15 miles to Albany, NY
To the ocean: 104 miles
Nearest airport: 9 miles to Albany (ALB) · major hub

How Schenectady County Community College compares

Graduation rate32%

Higher than 16% · #145 of 185 in New York

First-year retention51%

Higher than 12%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$40,902

Higher than 72% · #77 of 148 in New York

Average net price$8,947

Cheaper than 75% · #30 cheapest of 175 in New York

Median debt at graduation$11,049

Lower than 35%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 56%

Undergraduate enrollment1,507

Larger than 78%

Percentiles compare Schenectady County 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 New York.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

Women86257%
Men64543%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White44%
Black20%
Hispanic14%
Asian13%
Other or multiracial8.9%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,507
Student–faculty ratio: 15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 23%
First-generation students: 43%
Students over 25: 15%
Median family income: $22,750
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $54,729

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 593 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

From New York99%
Other U.S. states0.7%

Most first-years stay in state — Schenectady County Community College draws overwhelmingly from New York.

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: $6,190
Out-of-state tuition: $8,974
Room & board: —
Books & supplies: $2,000
Total cost of attendance: $16,830
Average net price: $8,947

Outcomes

Graduated: 32%
First-year retention: 51%
Transferred to another college: 21%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $34,147
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $40,902
Median debt at graduation: $11,049
Students with federal loans: 9%
Paying down their loans (1 year in): 29%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students

32%

Low-income (Pell)

10%

First-generation

10%

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: 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

$6,410

$30–48k

$8,161

$48–75k

$10,881

$75–110k

$13,362

$110k+

$15,537

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.

12%

of first-years get a grant from the school

$2,051

average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 12% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,051. 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 380 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): $40,902
Typical debt at graduation: $11,049
Debt vs. one year's pay: 27%
Out-earn a HS grad: 45%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.7 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

$36,369

Men

$45,537

Men out-earn women by $9,168 (25%) 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: 84°F
Winter low: 16°F
Annual rain: 40.7″
Annual snow: 59.2″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Albany AP, NY US station (8.7 mi from campus).

What Schenectady County Community College graduates study — and earn

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssoc.

83 grads— 1 yr$36k 5 yr— debt

83—$35,966—Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssoc.

46 grads— 1 yr$51k 5 yr— debt

46—$50,637—Culinary Arts and Related ServicesAssoc.

29 grads— 1 yr$37k 5 yr— debt

29—$36,504—Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssoc.

28 grads— 1 yr$39k 5 yr— debt

28—$38,695—MusicAssoc.

16 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

16———Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCert.

15 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

15———Human Services, GeneralAssoc.

13 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

13———Air TransportationAssoc.

13 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

13———Legal Support ServicesAssoc.

11 grads— 1 yr$65k 5 yr— debt

11—$64,862—Computer ScienceAssoc.

10 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

10———Foods, Nutrition, and Related ServicesAssoc.

10 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

10———MusicCert.

9 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

9———

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 Schenectady County Community College

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

SUNY Adirondack

Public

Queensbury, New York · Small suburb · 49 mi to Albany

Students: 1,844
Tuition: $7k
Transfer: 15%
Earnings: $41k

Genesee Community College

Public

Batavia, New York · Distant town · 28 mi to Rochester

Students: 1,973
Tuition: $6k
Transfer: 19%
Earnings: $40k

Cayuga County Community College

Public

Auburn, New York · Distant town · 21 mi to Syracuse

Students: 1,187
Tuition: $7k
Transfer: 21%
Earnings: $39k

Jamestown Community College

Public

Jamestown, New York · Distant town · 44 mi to Erie

Students: 1,739
Tuition: $7k
Transfer: 14%
Earnings: $38k

Jefferson Community College

Public

Watertown, New York · Small city · 66 mi to Syracuse

Students: 1,499
Tuition: $6k
Transfer: 20%
Earnings: $40k

SUNY Corning Community College

Public

Corning, New York · Fringe rural · 77 mi to Rochester

Students: 1,138
Tuition: $7k
Transfer: 21%
Earnings: $39k

Colleges near Schenectady County Community College

Paul Mitchell the School-Schenectady

Schenectady, NY · Private for-profit · Certificate · 87 students

< 1 mi

Union College

Schenectady, NY · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,046 students

1 mi

Belanger School of Nursing

Schenectady, NY · Private nonprofit · Associate · 162 students

2 mi

Modern Welding School

Schenectady, NY · Private for-profit · Certificate · 58 students

3 mi

Albany BOCES-Adult Practical Nursing Program

Albany, NY · Public · Certificate · 187 students

8 mi

Aesthetic Science Institute

Latham, NY · Private for-profit · Certificate · 164 students

9 mi

Bryant & Stratton College-Albany

Albany, NY · Private nonprofit · Associate · 240 students

11 mi

University at Albany

Albany, NY · Public · Bachelor's · 12,564 students

11 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.