Cost advantage
Affordable two-year option
Tuition in the low range for community colleges.
This school$2.4k
CC avg$3.8k
Source: IPEDS 2024
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Community College public Verified data
South Mountain Community College
Phoenix, AZ
South Mountain Community College at a glance
South Mountain Community College is a public community college in Phoenix, Arizona with 4,516 students (IPEDS, fall 2024 enrollment). It has an open admission policy (IPEDS, admission policy reported in the 2024-25 IC collection). Its published in-state tuition is $2,358 (IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25); students who received federal aid paid an average net price of $12,780 a year after grants (College Scorecard, a prior cohort). 16% of students finish within the federal tracking window (IPEDS, Graduation Rates 2024 collection: 4-year cohort 2018, 2-year cohort 2021); 8% of students take federal loans, and borrowers leave with a median $8,000 (College Scorecard).
Tuition
$2,358
2024-25
Acceptance
Open admission
2024-25
Students
4,516
Fall 2024
Type
Community College
Setting
Urban
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$2,358
Out-of-State Tuition
$8,958
Avg On-Campus Living
Not available
Avg Off-Campus Living
$10,872
Financial Aid & Outcomes
College Scorecard
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price: $2,358
Net price (after aid): $12,780
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k: $11,902
$30k – $48k: $11,932
$48k – $75k: $13,987
$75k – $110k: $17,329
$110k+: $17,132
Can federal loans cover it? (2026 limits)
At every income level reported here, the average net price is within the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow from the federal government for loans made from 1 July 2026.
The ceiling is $5,500 in the student’s own Direct Loan plus up to $20,000 in Parent PLUS, which requires that the parent has no adverse credit history. Net prices are averages for a prior cohort of aid recipients, not a quote. Source: Federal Student Aid loan limits. Where this gap is largest.
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr): $39,825
Median debt at graduation: $8,000
Est. monthly loan payment: $85
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Strong · 5.0×Graduates earn about 5.0× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants: 30%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans: 8%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
FAFSA earnings check
: Not flaggedSouth Mountain Community College does not trigger the FAFSA's "lower earnings" notice. Its graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $56,450, above the $35,918 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 in Arizona.
This is one figure for the whole institution, not for any program: earnings differ by credential and field. It covers graduates who completed in 2017-18 and 2018-19, received federal aid, and were working and not enrolled when earnings were measured in 2022 and 2023, in January 2026 dollars. The Department says the notice is informational only: it does not change aid eligibility. Source: U.S. Department of Education, FSA Data Center, March 2026 release. Which colleges are flagged, and what changed.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
16%
Freshman Retention
63%
Source: IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25 (provisional release)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Lower net price
$12.8k
Out-of-state value
$9.0k below avg
Strong aid for lower incomes
Reported net price for the $0–30k band runs below average.
Affordability snapshot
In-state tuition
$2.4k
below avg
Out-of-state
$9.0k
Net price
$12.8k
Pell
30%
Median debt
$8.0k
below avg
Earnings (10y)
$39.8k
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
Open admission
SAT range
Institution does not report this
Institution does not report this
ACT range
Institution does not report this
Institution does not report this
Source: IPEDS, open-admission policy reported for 2024-25 (final (revised) release)
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
Phoenix, AZ 85042
Academics
Studying online: a large share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 1,231 of South Mountain Community College's 4,157 students (30%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 1,215 (29%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
South Mountain Community College reported conferring credentials in 47 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Decision support
Similar schools
Worth a closer look if South Mountain Community College caught your interest.
Central Arizona College
Coolidge, AZ
Tuition $2,250 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.Eastern Arizona College
Thatcher, AZ
Tuition $2,352 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.Mohave Community College
Kingman, AZ
Tuition $2,208 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.Cochise County Community College District
Sierra Vista, AZ
Tuition $2,280 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.GateWay Community College
Phoenix, AZ
Tuition $2,358 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.Northland Pioneer College
Holbrook, AZ
Tuition $2,232 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.
Frequently asked questions
About South Mountain Community College
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is South Mountain Community College located?
- South Mountain Community College is located in Phoenix, AZ, in the United States.
- What type of institution is South Mountain Community College?
- South Mountain Community College is a public community college based in AZ. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- Is South Mountain Community College open admission?
- Yes. South Mountain Community College reports an open admission policy to the federal IPEDS survey (IPEDS, admission policy reported in the 2024-25 IC collection), which IPEDS defines as accepting any student who applies. Individual programs, often nursing and other health programs, can still set their own entry requirements, so check the program you want with the college.
- What is the tuition at South Mountain Community College?
- South Mountain Community College's published in-state tuition is approximately $2,358 per year (IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25). This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend South Mountain Community College?
- South Mountain Community College reports total enrollment of approximately 4,516 students (undergraduate plus graduate) (IPEDS, fall 2024 enrollment). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does South Mountain Community College actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at South Mountain Community College is approximately $12,780 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $11,902 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $17,132. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at South Mountain Community College?
- South Mountain Community College reports a graduation rate of approximately 16% (IPEDS, Graduation Rates 2024 collection: 4-year cohort 2018, 2-year cohort 2021). This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of South Mountain Community College have?
- Students who borrowed at South Mountain Community College left with a median of approximately $8,000 in federal loans, and about 8% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of South Mountain Community College earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $39,825 for students who received federal financial aid at South Mountain Community College. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about South Mountain Community College?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with South Mountain Community College.
- Does South Mountain Community College get a "lower earnings" warning on the FAFSA?
- No. In the Department of Education's March 2026 data, which the FAFSA uses now, South Mountain Community College's graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $56,450, above the $35,918 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 in Arizona, so first-year students who list it do not see the lower-earnings notice. The figure describes the whole institution, not any one program.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 47 fields South Mountain Community College reported, by credentials conferred in 2024-25, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Fine and Studio Arts | 256 | Associate's (3 associate · 253 certificate) |
| Behavioral Sciences | 172 | Associate's (72 associate · 100 certificate) |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 161 | Associate's |
| Business/Commerce, General | 63 | Associate's (4 associate · 59 certificate) |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 43 | Associate's (38 associate · 5 certificate) |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | 36 | Certificate |
| Natural Sciences | 33 | Certificate |
| Carpenters | 31 | Certificate |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 22 | Associate's (8 associate · 14 certificate) |
| Accounting and Related Services | 12 | Associate's (4 associate · 8 certificate) |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 12 | Associate's |
| Psychology, General | 12 | Associate's |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 12 | Associate's |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 12 | Associate's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by side. Other colleges in Phoenix, AZ. All colleges in Arizona. Arizona college costs by family income. Student debt at Arizona colleges. Computer science major guide. Business in Arizona. Nursing in Arizona. Psychology in Arizona. Engineering in Arizona.
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with South Mountain Community College before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024. Last verified: June 10, 2026.
Facts on this profile of South Mountain Community College are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). South Mountain Community College, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/south-mountain-community-college
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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