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South College: Lonas Campus
Photo: Steve Anderson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

National university

South College

Knoxville, TN · Private for-profit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $17,858 a year

Median debt at graduation: $18,668 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

C+Academic Excellence: C+ (grade C+): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Solid
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.42%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.52%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.25 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$4,599

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$16,820
$30,001–$48,000$17,983
$48,001–$75,000$18,964
$75,001–$110,000$22,710
Over $110,000$23,053

Full cost of attendance before aid: $30,954 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
6,406
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 10% · Women 90%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
47%
Total students8,234
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$17,858
Cost of attendance (per year)$30,954
Median federal debt at graduation$18,668
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
42%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
24%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
28%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
33%
First-year retention52%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$36,642
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$50
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,184 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants49%

Value: Good (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$77,096
Allied health$55,361

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Business administration, Clinical laboratory science, Computer science, Computing and information science, Criminal justice, Dental assisting, Electrical engineering technology, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Health administration, Health sciences, Human resources, Information technology, Marketing, Medical assisting, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Pre-health, Pre-law and legal studies, Teacher education.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions86%
Business5%
Criminal justice and security4%
Computer and information sciences3%
Law1%

Campus life

SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates20%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older61%
Students per faculty member25 to 1
Faculty who are full-time34%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Nearest airport with airline serviceMcGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)About 10 miles away · about 35 minutes by car
Town population195,185Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreLexington-FayetteAbout 146 miles away · about 3 hours 20 minutes by car
Typical weather37°F in January · 77°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Knoxville Exp Stn, TN, about 4 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is South College’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does South College cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $17,858 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How do South College’s graduates do?
42% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $36,642; the median federal debt at graduation is $18,668.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 220552
  • Carnegie classification: Doctoral/professional university
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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