Public · Community college
Southwest College for the Deaf
Big Spring, Texas · Remote town
- 20%
- Transfer rate
- $2,458
- Avg net price
- 40%
- Grad / completion
- $38,382
- Median earnings
Southwest College for the Deaf is a public certificate-granting institution in Big Spring, Texas (remote town setting), enrolling 47 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. The first European to view the site was probably a member of a Spanish expedition exploring the Great Plains from New Mexico. Big Spring is the site of several major hang-gliding championship tournaments, including the U.S. Hang Gliding Nationals. The city was also the site for the filming of parts of Midnight Cowboy and Hangar 18. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote town
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 37 miles to Midland, TX
- To the ocean
- 377 miles
- Nearest airport
- 45 miles to Midland International Air and Space Port (MAF)
How Southwest College for the Deaf compares
Higher than 26% · #185 of 253 in Texas
Higher than 86%
Higher than 62% · #66 of 206 in Texas
Cheaper than 97% · #6 cheapest of 252 in Texas
Lower than 57%
Lower than 92%
Larger than 12%
Percentiles compare Southwest College for the Deaf 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 Texas.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women3166%
- Men1634%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White21%
- Black21%
- Hispanic38%
- Asian8.5%
- Other or multiracial11%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 47
- Student–faculty ratio
- 7 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 74%
- First-generation students
- 51%
- Students over 25
- 6%
- Median family income
- $25,011
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $91,197
- Endowment
- $657,674
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $2,766
- Out-of-state tuition
- $14,746
- Room & board
- $6,383
- Books & supplies
- $1,690
- Total cost of attendance
- $13,318
- Average net price
- $2,458
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
- 40%
- First-year retention
- 93%
- Transferred to another college
- 20%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $32,428
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $38,382
- Median debt at graduation
- $9,500
- Students with federal loans
- 6%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 37%
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
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 52
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 100%+
- Housing charge (year)
- $1,969
- Meal plan (year)
- $3,868
- 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%.
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.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $38,382
- Typical debt at graduation
- $9,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 25%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 47%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.5 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 $13,926 (41%) 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
- 31°F
- Annual rain
- 19.6″
- Annual snow
- 2″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Big Spring, TX US station (3.1 mi from campus).
What Southwest College for the Deaf 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 Southwest College for the Deaf
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Southwest College for the Deaf side by side →
Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing
Parkersburg, West Virginia · Small city · 62 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 31
- Tuition
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- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
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Pontotoc Technology Center
Ada, Oklahoma · Fringe rural · 68 mi to Oklahoma City
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Putnam Career and Technical Center
Eleanor, West Virginia · Midsize suburb · 20 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 27
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
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- Earnings
- $36k
Ben Franklin Career Center
Dunbar, West Virginia · Midsize suburb · 7 mi to Charleston
- Students
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- Tuition
- —
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Cabell County Career Technology Center
Huntington, West Virginia · Midsize suburb · 40 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 51
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $34k
Kirksville Area Technical Center
Kirksville, Missouri · Remote town · 86 mi to Columbia
- Students
- 22
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $41k
Colleges near Southwest College for the Deaf
Howard College
Big Spring, TX · Public · Associate · 1,611 students
Midland College
Midland, TX · Public · Certificate · 5,542 students
Western Texas College
Snyder, TX · Public · Associate · 599 students
The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX · Public · Bachelor's · 3,911 students
Odessa College
Odessa, TX · Public · Associate · 4,654 students
Angelo State University
San Angelo, TX · Public · Bachelor's · 5,643 students
Texas College of Cosmetology-San Angelo
San Angelon, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 72 students
Wade Gordon Hairdressing Academy-Lubbock
Lubbock, TX · Private for-profit · Certificate · 96 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.