Public · Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga State Community College

Chattanooga State Community College is a public institution in Chattanooga, Tennessee. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.

$5,283
Avg net price / yr
$37,598
10-yr median earnings
23.8%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Chattanooga State Community College posts modest former-student earnings.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

39th pct.
former-student earnings, US
23.8%
150%-time completion
+12%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Midsize Carnegie: Associate's
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Chattanooga State Community College profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Associate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-High Traditional"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

D
College Value Score
49/100
Chattanooga State Community College

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings D
$37,598
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price A+
$5,283
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
23.8%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt B-
$10,419
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment F
51.3%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention N/A
N/A
First-year students returning for year two
Chattanooga State Community College vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$37,598

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$5,283

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

23.8%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 23.8%

Less-than-four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Chattanooga State Community College vs peers

Chattanooga State Community College positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Chattanooga State Community College position… Carnegie Classification: Associate's Associate's COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $22K $46K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $4K $35K Avg Net Price ($) Chattanooga State Community College (you are here): $38K earn · $5K net · 24% grad You are here - Chattanooga State … Volunteer State Community College: $41K earn · $8K net · 26% grad Volunteer State Co… Southwest Tennessee Community College: $34K earn · $5K net · 19% grad Southwest Tennesse… Nashville State Community College: $39K earn · $7K net · 18% grad Nashville State Co… The University of Tennessee-Martin: $44K earn · $11K net · 54% grad The University of … Tennessee State University: $43K earn · $16K net · 33% grad Tennessee State Un… Northeast State Community College: $35K earn · $7K net · 33% grad Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers: $26K earn · $34K net Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How Chattanooga State Community College ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

Chattanooga State Community College: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$37,598 39th percentile higher than 39% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). Above this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric Chattanooga State Community College National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $37,598 #3088 of 5103 39th
Average net price $5,283 #365 of 5020 93rd (lower is better)
150%-time completion 23.8% #4556 of 4858 6th
Undergraduate enrollment 5,284 #713 of 5462 87th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

5,284
Undergraduate enrollment
-
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
23.8%
150%-time completion
$37,598
10-yr median earnings
-
First-year retention

How Chattanooga State Community College ranks in Tennessee

State rank among 120 reporting Tennessee colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Chattanooga State Community College State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $37,598 #65 of 120 46th
Average net price $5,283 #8 of 124 94th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 23.8% #113 of 117 3rd
Undergraduate enrollment 5,284 #14 of 130 89th

Highest former-student earnings in Tennessee

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Vanderbilt University$91,565$15,846
2Baptist Health Sciences University$72,529$11,212
3Rhodes College$66,651$28,585
4The University of Tennessee Health Science Center$66,318-
5Jersey College - Cleveland$66,087-
6Jersey College - Knoxville$66,087-
7The University of the South$64,911$27,872
8Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting$62,978-
9Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus$61,480$27,267
10The University of Tennessee-Knoxville$60,249$18,976
11King University$59,831$22,347
12Cumberland University$57,687$18,759
65Chattanooga State Community CollegeThis school$37,598$5,283

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Chattanooga State Community College

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Chattanooga State Community College - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $4,772
Out-of-State Tuition $17,756
Average Net Price $5,283
35.7%
Pell Grant Rate
13.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$10,419
Median Debt
$110/mo
Monthly Payment

Chattanooga State Community College costs less today than it did in 2013

Average net price fell from $8,065 to $5,702 (-29.3%) between 2013 and 2023, before any inflation adjustment, which makes the real-terms fall larger still. Most colleges moved the other way: the median change across the 4,315 schools measured over the same span was +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $8,0652014: $8,1182015: $8,0602016: $7,1702017: $7,1112018: $6,9022019: $6,7422020: $6,2632021: $6,9352022: $6,4712023: $5,702
2013 · $8,0652023 · $5,702

Over the same years, enrollment went -43.0% (8,224 → 4,689 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

55.8%
Female
46.0%
First Generation

Outcomes

$33,711
Median Earnings (6yr)
46.4%
Earning Over $25K
51.3%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 23.8%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $33,711
Median earnings 10 years after entry $37,598
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 46.4%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 51.3%
Median federal student debt At completion $10,419
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $110/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Associate's 16 1,065 $52,016 $81,335 $12,902
Certificate 16 145 $43,343 $63,366 $6,134

Top programs at Chattanooga State Community College by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Engineering, General Associate's 15 $81,335 $13,125
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate's 142 $72,920 $13,500
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians Certificate - $63,366 -
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General Associate's 59 $63,171 $12,000
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Associate's 53 $60,050 $13,000
Computer and Information Sciences, General Associate's 19 $57,028 $13,595
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Certificate 73 $57,020 $9,375
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants Certificate - $55,124 $7,704
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) Certificate - $54,846 $5,500
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers Certificate - $54,576 $5,079
Precision Metal Working Certificate - $50,184 $3,933
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Associate's 18 $50,158 -
Business Administration, Management and Operations Associate's 42 $45,111 $15,150
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Associate's 613 $43,457 $10,243
Ground Transportation Certificate - $42,911 $5,500

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admissions statistics for Chattanooga State Community College?
Chattanooga State Community College is a public institution in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Undergraduate enrollment is 5,284 students.
How much do Chattanooga State Community College former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Chattanooga State Community College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $37,598 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $33,711.
How much does Chattanooga State Community College cost?
The average net price at Chattanooga State Community College is $5,283. In-state tuition is $4,772 and out-of-state tuition is $17,756. Median student debt at graduation is $10,419.
What is the graduation rate at Chattanooga State Community College?
Chattanooga State Community College has a 23.8% completion rate within 150% of normal program time at a less-than-four-year institution.
Is Chattanooga State Community College worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Chattanooga State Community College is $10,419, while former students earn a median of $37,598 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 28% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 51.3% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $110.

Sources & methodology

Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.

Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from Chattanooga State Community College

Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.