Southern Union State Community College
Wadley, Alabama · Website
$36,597
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$36,597
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Southern Union State Community College is a public 2-year college in Wadley, Alabama with 4,173 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $6,142 a year (tuition and fees $5,040 in-state, $8,910 out-of-state). 36% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $36,597 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $11,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$6,142
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$5,040
Out-of-state $8,910
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
36%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$11,000
About $117 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$36,597
Rank 3,256 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $6,142
- Tuition in-state
- $5,040
- Tuition out-of-state
- $8,910
- Cost of attendance
- $13,637
- Students with a need-based grant
- 34%
- Students with federal loans
- 22%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $3,543
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $5,160
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $7,173
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $10,247
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $10,953
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $3,752 in 2015-16 to $5,040 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 4,173
- Part-time students
- 39%
- Women
- 56%
- Students per teacher
- 21
- Completion rate
- 36%
- Retention rate
- 67%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 39
- Other
- Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 3,256 of 5,094 US colleges and 39 of 69 in Alabama (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | AL median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $6,142 | $15,258 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $5,040 | $9,862 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 77% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 36% | 42% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 67% | 67% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $11,000 | $21,000 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $32,844 | $32,851 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $36,597 | $39,842 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 37% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 55% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
39 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 445 | $6,500 | $26,174 | $35,177 | $44,125 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 366 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 108 | $9,750 | $69,147 | $79,063 | $80,813 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 102 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 84 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,584 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 78 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 68 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 45 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $69,017 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 41 | Withheld | $37,835 | $51,659 | $65,389 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 36 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Certificate | Certificate | 23 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherAssociate's | Associate's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,241 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,927 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,895 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Wadley and Alabama on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Alabama
- Homes: Homes for sale in Alabama
Questions and answers
How much does Southern Union State Community College cost?
$6,142 a year is the average net price at Southern Union State Community College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $5,040 for in-state students and $8,910 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $13,637. Families earning under $30,000 pay $3,543 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Southern Union State Community College?
Southern Union State Community College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Southern Union State Community College graduates earn?
$36,597 a year is the median pay of former Southern Union State Community College students who work, 10 years after they started ($32,844 after 6 years). That ranks 3,256 of 5,094 US colleges and 39 of 69 in Alabama. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $69,147.
How much student debt do Southern Union State Community College graduates have?
$11,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Southern Union State Community College graduates, about $117 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 22% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Southern Union State Community College?
36% of first-time, full-time students at Southern Union State Community College finish within 3 years. 67% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at Southern Union State Community College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (445 associate's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (366 certificate graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (108 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 39 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.