Private for-profit · Community college

Southeastern College-Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina · Large suburb

0%
Transfer rate: $31,941
Avg net price: 67%
Grad / completion: $31,156
Median earnings

Southeastern College-Columbia is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in Columbia, South Carolina (large suburb setting), enrolling 267 undergraduates.

Private for-profitSmall · 267 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 97% admit

About Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. In May 1540, a Spanish expedition led by Hernando de Soto traversed what is now Columbia while moving northward on exploration of the interior of the Southeast. Alternacirque, professional circus that produces variety shows and full-scale themed productions. Formed in 2007, Alternacirque is directed by Natalie Brown. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Large suburb
Highest degree offered: Associate
Nearest big city: 6 miles to Columbia, SC
To the ocean: 102 miles
Nearest airport: 13 miles to Columbia Metropolitan (CAE)

How Southeastern College-Columbia compares

Selectivity97.3%

More selective than 23% · #6 most selective of 7 in South Carolina

Graduation rate67%

Higher than 57% · #16 of 45 in South Carolina

First-year retention67%

Higher than 39%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$31,156

Higher than 36% · #23 of 40 in South Carolina

Average net price$31,941

Cheaper than 6% · #47 cheapest of 47 in South Carolina

Median debt at graduation$9,500

Lower than 57%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 73%

Undergraduate enrollment267

Larger than 51%

Percentiles compare Southeastern College-Columbia 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 South Carolina.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

Women23387%
Men3413%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White6.7%
Black43%
Hispanic2.3%
Other or multiracial48%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 267
Student–faculty ratio: 12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 77%
First-generation students: 57%
Students over 25: 58%
Median family income: $14,897
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $47,223

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

Cost

In-state tuition: $25,080
Room & board: —
Books & supplies: $2,000
Total cost of attendance: $39,250
Average net price: $31,941

Admissions

Admission rate: 97.3%
Test scores: Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %): —
SAT average: —
SAT reading: —
SAT math: —
ACT composite: —

Outcomes

Graduated: 67%
First-year retention: 67%
Transferred to another college: 0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $26,719
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $31,156
Median debt at graduation: $9,500
Students with federal loans: 89%
Paying down their loans (1 year in): 17%

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing: No
Application fee: $50

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

$31,086

$30–48k

$31,129

$48–75k

$34,887

$75–110k

$31,502

$110k+

$37,469

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.

48%

of first-years get a grant from the school

$1,658

average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 48% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,658. 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 46 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): $31,156
Typical debt at graduation: $9,500
Debt vs. one year's pay: 30%
Out-earn a HS grad: 25%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.0 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

$30,150

Men

$42,958

Men out-earn women by $12,808 (42%) 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: 96°F
Winter low: 37°F
Annual rain: 48.1″
Annual snow: 0.2″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Columbia Univ OF SC, SC US station (6.1 mi from campus).

What Southeastern College-Columbia graduates study — and earn

Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic ServicesCert.

59 grads$25k 1 yr$28k 5 yr$14k debt

59$25,459$27,932$14,211 Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCert.

26 grads$24k 1 yr$27k 5 yr$12k debt

26$24,383$26,503$12,187 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssoc.

25 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

25———Health and Medical Administrative ServicesAssoc.

6 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

6———Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssoc.

2 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

2———Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCert.

— grads— 1 yr$30k 5 yr$17k debt

——$30,324$16,816

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 Southeastern College-Columbia

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

Southeastern College-Charleston

For-profit

North Charleston, South Carolina · Midsize city · 10 mi to Charleston

Students: 225
Tuition: $25k
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $31k

Southeastern College-Charlotte

For-profit

Charlotte, North Carolina · Large city · 6 mi to Charlotte

Students: 252
Tuition: $25k
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $32k

Concorde Career Institute-Jacksonville

For-profit

Jacksonville, Florida · Large city · 8 mi to Jacksonville

Students: 225
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $34k

Concorde Career College-Kansas City

For-profit

Kansas City, Missouri · Large city · 11 mi to Kansas City

Students: 198
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $35k

Concorde Career College-San Antonio

For-profit

San Antonio, Texas · Large city · 7 mi to San Antonio

Students: 195
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $35k

Concorde Career College-Memphis

For-profit

Memphis, Tennessee · Large city · 9 mi to Memphis

Students: 517
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $32k

Colleges near Southeastern College-Columbia

South University-Columbia

Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 450 students

2 mi

Columbia College

Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,343 students

4 mi

Benedict College

Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,536 students

5 mi

Allen University

Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 576 students

5 mi

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC · Public · Bachelor's · 29,820 students

6 mi

Columbia International University

Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 716 students

6 mi

Fortis College-Columbia

Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 582 students

8 mi

Barber Tech Academy-Columbia

Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 51 students

8 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.