Southern Union State Community College vs Central Alabama Community College

Southern Union State Community College and Central Alabama 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 a commitment to providing quality education, they differ in several key aspects. Southern Union boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students, while Central Alabama maintains a more selective admissions process. In terms of academic offerings, Southern Union excels in programs like Business Administration and Management, while Central Alabama shines in fields such as Health Professions and Related Programs. Additionally, the student body demographics vary, with Southern Union hosting a slightly larger and more diverse student population. As for graduation rates, Central Alabama holds a slight edge, indicating a strong focus on student success and completion. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting these differences and more. Explore the table to discover which college aligns best with your aspirations and goals.

	Central Alabama Community College	Southern Union State Community College
Overview
Location	Alexander City, Alabama	Wadley, Alabama
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Rural: Remote
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	64.0%	66.0%
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: $20,528 Out of state: $24,218	In state: $18,010 Out of state: $21,700
Average net price	$8,885	$9,066
Tuition	In state: $3,690 Out of state: $7,380	In state: $3,690 Out of state: $7,380
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $1,160 Meal plan: $2,040
Available payment plans		Prepaid tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	88.0% Average amount $5,626	71.0% Average amount $7,708
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $3,676	22.0% Average amount $4,983
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	2.0% Average amount $5,746

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,578 Men 40.9% Women 59.1%	4,069 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	2.1%	8.3%
International students	0.4%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Rural: Remote
Dormitory capacity	N/A	460
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alabama Georgia Connecticut Louisiana Oklahoma	Alabama Georgia Florida Texas California

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Precision Production Business Multidisciplinary Studies	Liberal Arts Health Professions Automotive Technology Engineering Technologies Precision Production
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	21.9%	16.4%
Dropout rate	50.5%	34.4%
Transferred out	22.5%	44.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $48,360 Year 2: $50,677 Year 3: $54,686 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $19,701 Year 2: $15,817 Year 3: $22,993	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $53,094 Year 2: $48,752 Year 3: $52,602 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $34,891 Year 2: $33,007 Year 3: $40,013 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $21,818 Year 2: $19,891 Year 3: $27,722 Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $18,219 Year 2: $15,552 Year 3: N/A Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $16,786 Year 3: N/A Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: N/A Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: N/A Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: N/A Business Operations Support and Assistant Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,420 Year 3: N/A

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