Jefferson Community College
- Graduation Rate
- 27% F
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $39,991 C
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $11,923 B-
- 30% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 1,499
Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 18.5× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $18.5 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $18.5 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $836,321.
What The Data Says
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A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduation of 27% — 53% below the national average.
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Social mobility rate of 2.10% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
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Every $1 invested returns $18.5 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Jefferson Community College Matters
Jefferson Community College is a public community college in Watertown, NY and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Community College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 1,499
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Criminal Justice
Why students choose Jefferson Community College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $11,923 a year after grants and scholarships — 30% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $39,991 ten years after enrolling — 2% below the typical college, against $12,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.1% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 25% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.28 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Jefferson Community College serves around 1,500 students, making it a tight-knit option for those who thrive in smaller environments. Here, you can dive into programs like Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Criminal Justice, and Engineering. It’s a solid choice for individuals looking for focused education in fields that can lead to practical careers.
After graduation, students earn an average of about $39,991 after ten years. That’s a decent starting point for many, especially for a community college where the investment is significantly lower than at a four-year institution. The affordability aspect is crucial, with a net price of around $11,923 after financial aid, making it accessible to a wide range of students. About 34% of students receive Pell Grants, which can ease the financial burden for those who need it most.
When it comes to the bottom line, the median debt stands at $12,000, which is manageable when you consider the potential earnings. Students who tend to thrive here are likely those who appreciate a community feel and are ready to engage deeply in their studies. This college can be a great stepping stone for those looking to enter the workforce or pursue further education down the line.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Jefferson Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Jefferson Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Watertown, New York, Jefferson Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 27%.
- Retention Rate
- 56%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 33%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $6,904
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 17:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.50
- First-Gen Students
- 44%
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Jefferson Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Jefferson Community College is $11,700, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $11,923. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,754 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $12,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $6,264
- Out-of-State
- $11,700
- Avg Net Price
- $11,923
- Median Debt
- $12,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 34%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 22%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $8,754
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $9,100
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $13,669
- Family Income $110K+
- $18,472
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Jefferson Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Jefferson Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Jefferson Community College report median earnings of $39,991, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $36,576
- 8 Years
- $37,675
- 10 Years
- $39,991
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.3x
- Earning > $25K
- 45%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (127)
- 20%
- 100% (127)
- 20%
- 100% (127)
- 20%
- 100% (127)
- 20%
How Jefferson Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Jefferson Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Jefferson Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $11,923/year ($47,692 total). Graduates earn $39,991 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $884,013 in total earnings — a net gain of $836,321 (18.5× your investment). The median debt is $12,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 27% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $47,692
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $884,013
- Net Return
- $836,321
- ROI Multiple
- 18.5×
- Cost Per Year
- $11,923
- Median Debt
- $12,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 27%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Jefferson Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Jefferson Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.10%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 16.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 12.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $56,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 2.10%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 12.8%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 16.4%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $77,171
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $7,489,668
- Federal Grants
- $5,228,657
- Investment Income
- $29,185
Top Programs
The fields Jefferson Community College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Humanities 34%
- Business & Marketing 20% $35,271 early-career
- Health Professions 18% $72,208 early-career
- Criminal Justice 7% $35,702 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 2%
- Engineering 2%
- Mathematics & Statistics 2%
- Legal Studies 1% $21,755 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Jefferson Community College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Jefferson Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Watertown, New York, Jefferson Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 27%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Jefferson Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Jefferson Community College is $11,700, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $11,923. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,754 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $12,000 in federal student loans.
Is Jefferson Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Jefferson Community College report median earnings of $39,991, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Jefferson Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Jefferson Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.10%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 16.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 12.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $56,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Jefferson Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Jefferson Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.28, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Jefferson Community College.
- Tompkins Cortland Community CollegeDryden, NY · Close peer26% grad $40,707 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Northeastern Oklahoma A&M CollegeMiami, OK · Close peer29% grad $38,337 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Enterprise State Community CollegeEnterprise, AL · Close peer36% grad $42,572 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- College of the SiskiyousWeed, CA · Close peer32% grad $39,098 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Columbia CollegeSonora, CA · Close peer28% grad $39,035 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- SUNY AdirondackQueensbury, NY · Close peer33% grad $41,267 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Jefferson Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Jefferson Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.28, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note