Public · Community college
South Central College
North Mankato, Minnesota · Small suburb
- 14%
- Transfer rate
- $9,082
- Avg net price
- 39%
- Grad / completion
- $45,068
- Median earnings
South Central College is a public associate-granting institution in North Mankato, Minnesota (small suburb setting), enrolling 1,946 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About North Mankato, Minnesota
North Mankato is a city in Nicollet and Blue Earth Counties, Minnesota, United States. North Mankato is situated on the north bank of the Minnesota River, across from the larger city of Mankato. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 68 miles to Minneapolis, MN
- To Great Lakes shore
- 201 miles
- Nearest airport
- 64 miles to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP) · major hub
How South Central College compares
Higher than 25% · #30 of 42 in Minnesota
Higher than 21%
Higher than 83% · #21 of 40 in Minnesota
Cheaper than 74% · #5 cheapest of 43 in Minnesota
Lower than 29%
Lower than 49%
Larger than 81%
Percentiles compare South Central 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 Minnesota.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,00452%
- Men94248%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White64%
- Black11%
- Hispanic16%
- Asian1.6%
- Other or multiracial8.5%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,946
- Student–faculty ratio
- 16 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 33%
- First-generation students
- 37%
- Students over 25
- 26%
- Median family income
- $31,916
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $83,862
- Endowment
- $1,491,000
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $6,146
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,250
- Total cost of attendance
- $15,401
- Average net price
- $9,082
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
- 39%
- First-year retention
- 59%
- Transferred to another college
- 14%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $40,637
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,068
- Median debt at graduation
- $12,000
- Students with federal loans
- 20%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 47%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
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
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%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (2,731 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.
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.
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.
Modest institutional aid: 23% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,411. 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 283 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)
- $45,068
- Typical debt at graduation
- $12,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 27%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 56%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
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.
Men out-earn women by $12,501 (31%) 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
- 6°F
- Annual rain
- 33.9″
- Annual snow
- 38.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mankato, MN US station (1.9 mi from campus).
What South Central College graduates study — and earn
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 South Central College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare South Central College side by side →
Minnesota North College
Hibbing, Minnesota · Remote town · 58 mi to Duluth
- Students
- 2,013
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 18%
- Earnings
- $46k
Ridgewater College
Willmar, Minnesota · Remote town · 89 mi to Minneapolis
- Students
- 2,162
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $44k
Riverland Community College
Austin, Minnesota · Distant town · 91 mi to Minneapolis
- Students
- 2,003
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $45k
Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Granite Falls, Minnesota · Remote rural · 105 mi to Sioux Falls
- Students
- 1,762
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $45k
St Cloud Technical and Community College
Saint Cloud, Minnesota · Small city · 61 mi to Minneapolis
- Students
- 3,113
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $47k
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Fergus Falls, Minnesota · Fringe rural · 52 mi to Fargo
- Students
- 2,942
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 47%
- Earnings
- $46k
Colleges near South Central College
Bethany Lutheran College
Mankato, MN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 669 students
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, MN · Public · Bachelor's · 11,703 students
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, MN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,878 students
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, MN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 725 students
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 3,093 students
Carleton College
Northfield, MN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,086 students
Crown College
Saint Bonifacius, MN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 796 students
Normandale Community College
Bloomington, MN · Public · Associate · 7,044 students
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.