Numbers recently released in Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Economic Impact Report show that students can expect to recoup the cost of their accumulated tuition from MGCCC within 26 months after program completion. Additionally, MGCCC graduates can expect to make more than $34,472 annually, a $4,000 increase over high school graduates.

The median costs of a degree from MGCCC are $5,544 for an Associate of Arts, $6,165 for an Associate of Applied Science and $4,569 for a Career Certificate/Diploma. In a study conducted by the college, results show that graduates recover their tuition investments in a degree from MGCCC within 11 to 26 months of graduation.

“MGCCC has not raised tuition rates in several years to keep the cost of education affordable for our students,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. “With a 92 percent job-placement rate in our career and technical programs within six months of completion, students cannot go wrong with a degree from the college.”

Academic students are finding the same success. More than 2,000 students transferred to institutions of higher learning within the past year, with a total of 94,675 credit hours transferred to 116 four-year colleges. Students transferring from MGCCC during the 2012-2013 school year saved a total of $10,997,625 in university tuition fees. The average total tuition costs savings per student was $5,393.

“Articulation agreements that MGCCC maintains with public and private universities ensure that our students receive the maximum number of transfer credits,” Graham said. “Additionally, research shows that students who begin their education at MGCCC and transfer to a four-year institution are just as successful as native university students. That speaks volumes for the quality of education our students can expect to receive at MGCCC.”

Completion rates at the college are also very high. In fact, the college is recognized nationally each year for its graduation rates, and it has ranked in the top-100 associate-degree-producing institutions in the United States for 10 years. In 2012, the college was ranked No. 78 in the Community College Week ranking, which is based on the number of degrees awarded in the nation’s 1,200 community colleges.

“Ranking so highly in producing graduates is a significant accomplishment for the college,” Graham said. “It is a testament to our dedication to instructional excellence and student success, and it exemplifies our commitment to making MGCCC a globally competitive learning community.”

Data used in the report comes from a variety of sources, including MGCCC institutional data, industry and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, university transfer data from National Student Clearinghouse, demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau, and studies of social behaviors and education attainment.