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Southside Virginia Community College

Public Alberta, VA · Rural · Southeast · 73% data
A Affordability A- Value C+ Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
38% D
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$32,371 D+
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$5,338 A
69% less than the typical college
Enrollment
1,807
Earnings -21% vs avg
Graduation -33% vs avg
Net Price +-69% vs avg
Mobility Top 38%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 32.7× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $32.7 over 20 years.

32.7× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $32.7 over 20 years. Net gain: $677,526.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Graduate earnings fall 21% below the national college median.

  3. Graduation of 38% — 33% below the national average.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $32.7 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

About Southside Virginia Community College

Southside Virginia Community College is profiled below with full outcomes data from federal sources.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
1,807
Setting
Rural
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Health Professions, Precision Production, Business & Marketing

Why students choose Southside Virginia Community College

Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 42% overall
D+
Earnings
$32,371 median
A-
Value
6.1× net price
A
Affordability
$5,338/yr net
D
Graduation
38% graduate
C+
Social Mobility
1.7% climb Q1→Q5
C+
Diversity
0.61 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

With an enrollment of about 1,800 students, Southside Virginia Community College is a great fit for those looking to dive into practical fields. The college stands out for its programs in Humanities, Health Professions, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Precision Production, and Computer Science & IT. These areas of study cater to students who are eager to gain hands-on experience and enter the workforce with relevant skills.

Looking at life after graduation, students earn around $32,371 within a decade of completing their studies. This figure highlights the potential for financial stability, especially when you consider the college's affordable net price of $5,338. While the graduation rate is 38%, the focus here is on providing pathways for students to improve their circumstances and find success in their careers, especially for those who start from the bottom 20%.

When it comes to the practical aspects of attending Southside Virginia Community College, the cost after aid is manageable, which encourages a diverse range of students to enroll. Although we don't have specific data on debt load, the relatively low net price suggests that students can graduate without overwhelming financial burden. Those who thrive here are often those looking for a supportive environment that prioritizes practical skills and community engagement.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Southside Virginia Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Southside Virginia Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Southside Virginia Community College, located in Alberta, Virginia, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 38%.

Retention Rate
71%
Full-Time Faculty
30%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$7,916
Student–Faculty Ratio
24:1
Diversity Index
0.61
First-Gen Students
52%

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 Southside Virginia Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Southside Virginia Community College is $11,445, 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 $5,338. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,751 after need-based grants.

In-State Tuition
$5,007
Out-of-State
$11,445
Avg Net Price
$5,338
Pell Grant Rate
35%
Federal Loan Rate
0%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$4,751
Family Income $30K–$48K
$5,815
Family Income $48K–$75K
$6,773

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 Southside Virginia Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Southside Virginia Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Southside Virginia Community College report median earnings of $32,371, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$30,192
8 Years
$31,476
10 Years
$32,371
Earning > $25K
38%

Earnings Trajectory

$30,192 6yr $31,476 8yr $32,371 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (63)
29%
100% (63)
29%
100% (63)
29%
100% (63)
29%

How Southside Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation38%Earnings 10yr$32KNet Price$5KRetention71%Pell Grant Rate35%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$5K$0-30K$6K$30-48K$7K$48-75K

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%28.6%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%6.0%MOBILITY1.73%

College ROI Calculator

Is Southside Virginia Community College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Southside Virginia Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $5,338/year ($21,352 total). Graduates earn $32,371 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $698,878 in total earnings — a net gain of $677,526 (32.7× your investment).. With a 38% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$21,352
Projected 20yr Earnings
$698,878
Net Return
$677,526
ROI Multiple
32.7×
Cost Per Year
$5,338
Graduation Rate
38%

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 Southside Virginia Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Southside Virginia 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 1.73%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 28.6% 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 6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $39,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.73%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
6.0%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
28.6%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$54,074
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Southside Virginia Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Southside Virginia Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.81, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
0.81
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.00
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
6.6%
Support Ratio
1.00
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$3,550,220
Federal Grants
$1,107,775
Investment Income
$10,907

Top Programs

The fields Southside Virginia 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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Southside Virginia Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Southside Virginia Community College, located in Alberta, Virginia, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 38%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Southside Virginia Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Southside Virginia Community College is $11,445, 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 $5,338. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,751 after need-based grants.

Is Southside Virginia Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Southside Virginia Community College report median earnings of $32,371, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Southside Virginia Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Southside Virginia 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 1.73%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 28.6% 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 6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $39,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Southside Virginia Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Southside Virginia Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.81, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Southside Virginia Community College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys