Northwest-Shoals Community College vs Lawson State Community College

Northwest-Shoals Community College and Lawson State Community College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to students seeking a solid foundation for their academic and professional pursuits. While they share the common goal of empowering students with knowledge and skills, they differ in several aspects. Northwest-Shoals boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Lawson State, on the other hand, stands out with its diverse student body, fostering an inclusive and vibrant campus community. Both institutions offer a range of popular majors, including nursing, business, and education, catering to diverse career aspirations. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we present a comprehensive comparison of these two colleges, delving into their acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Lawson State Community College	Northwest-Shoals Community College
Overview
Location	Birmingham, Alabama	Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	62.0%	65.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $20,527 Out of state: $24,217	In state: $16,301 Out of state: $19,991
Average net price	$6,342	$3,493
Tuition	In state: $3,690 Out of state: $7,380	In state: $3,690 Out of state: $7,380
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,000 Meal plan: $1,760
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $7,554	95.0% Average amount $5,952
Students receiving federal student loan		24.0% Average amount $2,779
Students taking out private loans		0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,094 Men 33.8% Women 66.2%	3,371 Men 43.1% Women 56.9%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	2.4%	1.5%
International students	0.4%	0.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	156	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alabama Georgia Florida Indiana Louisiana	Alabama Tennessee Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Engineering Technologies Automotive Technology Business	Liberal Arts Precision Production Health Professions Construction Trades Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	24.7%	26.0%
Dropout rate	52.4%	39.1%
Transferred out	14.9%	21.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $38,437 Year 2: $40,461 Year 3: $41,962 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $34,437 Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $29,303 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $23,818 Year 2: $20,687 Year 3: $23,872 Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $42,615 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $59,340 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $44,933 Year 2: $43,922 Year 3: $43,540 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $19,388 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $21,522 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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