Cost advantage
Affordable two-year option
Tuition in the low range for community colleges.
Source: IPEDS 2024
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SOWELA Technical Community College
Lake Charles, LA
SOWELA Technical Community College at a glance
SOWELA Technical Community College is a public community college in Lake Charles, Louisiana with 3,446 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 $4,305 (IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25); students who received federal aid paid an average net price of $7,525 a year after grants (College Scorecard, a prior cohort). 43% of students finish within the federal tracking window (IPEDS, Graduation Rates 2024 collection: 4-year cohort 2018, 2-year cohort 2021). By program, the highest graduate earnings four years after finishing are in Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, associate's ($127,701) and Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, associate's ($91,057) (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates).
Tuition
$4,305
2024-25
Acceptance
Open admission
2024-25
Students
3,446
Fall 2024
Type
Community College
Setting
Urban
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$4,305
Out-of-State Tuition
$4,305
Avg On-Campus Living
Not available
Avg Off-Campus Living
$11,802
Financial Aid & Outcomes
College Scorecard
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price: $4,305
Net price (after aid): $7,525
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k: $7,439
$30k – $48k: $6,864
$48k – $75k: $8,411
$75k – $110k: $8,407
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): $32,303
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants: 46%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans: 0%
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 flaggedSOWELA Technical Community College does not trigger the FAFSA's "lower earnings" notice. Its graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $63,790, above the $32,616 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 in Louisiana.
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
43%
Freshman Retention
59%
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
$7.5k below avg
Out-of-state value
$4.3k below avg
Strong aid for lower incomes
Reported net price for the $0–30k band runs below average.
Affordability snapshot
In-state tuition
$4.3k
Net price
$7.5k
below avg
Pell
46%
above avg
Earnings (10y)
$32.3k
“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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Location
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
Lake Charles, LA 70615
Academics
Studying online: a substantial share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 367 of SOWELA Technical Community College's 3,316 students (11%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 1,334 (40%) 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
SOWELA Technical Community College reported conferring credentials in 23 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 SOWELA Technical Community College caught your interest.
Fletcher Technical Community College
Schriever, LA
Tuition $4,219 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.Louisiana State University-Eunice
Eunice, LA
Tuition $4,730 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.River Parishes Community College
Gonzales, LA
Tuition $4,079 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.Nunez Community College
Chalmette, LA
Tuition $4,255 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.Louisiana Delta Community College
Monroe, LA
Tuition $4,159 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.Southern University at Shreveport
Shreveport, LA
Tuition $4,958 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.
Graduate earnings by program
What SOWELA Technical Community College graduates earn, by program
SOWELA Technical Community College's certificate graduates in Electrical and Power Transmission Installers earned a median $63,577 four years after graduating, 20% above the $53,078 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
11 programs at SOWELA Technical Community College have federal earnings or debt figures, largest graduating classes first. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Debt: graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20. The national median is the same measure for every program in that field and credential in the U.S.
| Program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | National median | Federal debt borrowed at this college (median) | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers, Undergraduate certificate | $63,577 | $53,078, +20% | — | — |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Associate's | $127,701 | $73,593, +74% | — | — |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Associate's | $91,057 | $73,046, +25% | — | — |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers, Associate's | — | $70,808 | — | — |
| Practical Nursing (LPN/LVN), Undergraduate certificate | $46,806 | $56,073, −17% | — | — |
| Nursing (RN), Associate's | $71,515 | $80,813, −12% | — | — |
| Business, Associate's | $45,091 | $49,927, −10% | — | — |
| Criminal Justice, Associate's | $35,884 | $46,706, −23% | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, Associate's | — | $54,246 | — | — |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Associate's | $55,019 | $55,895, about the same | — | — |
| Accounting, Associate's | $47,669 | $47,660, about the same | — | — |
What the job pays locally
- Nursing (RN) graduates train as registered nurses: median $80,230 in Louisiana.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: everyone working in the job, every experience level, not only recent graduates.
Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Monthly payment assumes a standard 10-year plan. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data, 10 June 2026. Download every program (CSV). Same degree, different paycheck: what the national data show. Nursing graduates vs RN pay by state: the early-career benchmark.
Frequently asked questions
About SOWELA Technical 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 SOWELA Technical Community College located?
- SOWELA Technical Community College is located in Lake Charles, LA, in the United States.
- What type of institution is SOWELA Technical Community College?
- SOWELA Technical Community College is a public community college based in LA. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- Is SOWELA Technical Community College open admission?
- Yes. SOWELA Technical 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 SOWELA Technical Community College?
- SOWELA Technical Community College's published in-state tuition is approximately $4,305 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 SOWELA Technical Community College?
- SOWELA Technical Community College reports total enrollment of approximately 3,446 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 SOWELA Technical Community College actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at SOWELA Technical Community College is approximately $7,525 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. 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 SOWELA Technical Community College?
- SOWELA Technical Community College reports a graduation rate of approximately 43% (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 do graduates of SOWELA Technical Community College earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $32,303 for students who received federal financial aid at SOWELA Technical 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 SOWELA Technical 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 SOWELA Technical Community College.
- How much do Electrical and Power Transmission Installers graduates from SOWELA Technical Community College earn?
- SOWELA Technical Community College's certificate graduates in Electrical and Power Transmission Installers earned a median $63,577 four years after graduating, 20% above the $53,078 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
- How much do Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians graduates from SOWELA Technical Community College earn?
- SOWELA Technical Community College's associate's graduates in Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians earned a median $127,701 four years after graduating, 74% above the $73,593 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $75,239; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth.
- Which programs at SOWELA Technical Community College have the highest graduate earnings?
- Among the 4 programs at SOWELA Technical Community College with a federal earnings figure from at least 30 graduates, the highest medians four years after graduating were Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, associate's ($127,701); Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, associate's ($91,057); and Electrical and Power Transmission Installers, certificate ($63,577) (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). That order is one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality: earnings reflect the field and where graduates go to work as well as the program.
- Does SOWELA Technical 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, SOWELA Technical Community College's graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $63,790, above the $32,616 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 in Louisiana, 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 23 fields SOWELA Technical 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | 312 | Associate's (84 associate · 228 certificate) |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | 300 | Associate's (92 associate · 208 certificate) |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | 293 | Associate's (92 associate · 201 certificate) |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 241 | Associate's (21 associate · 220 certificate) |
| Business/Commerce, General | 196 | Associate's (40 associate · 156 certificate) |
| Accounting and Related Services | 174 | Associate's (14 associate · 160 certificate) |
| Precision Metal Working | 145 | Associate's (6 associate · 139 certificate) |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 128 | Associate's (21 associate · 107 certificate) |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | 120 | Associate's (7 associate · 113 certificate) |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | 81 | Certificate |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | 79 | Associate's (24 associate · 55 certificate) |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 74 | Associate's (3 associate · 71 certificate) |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 45 | Associate's |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 44 | Associate's (8 associate · 36 certificate) |
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. All colleges in Louisiana. Louisiana college costs by family income. Student debt at Louisiana colleges. Computer science in Louisiana. Business major guide. Nursing in Louisiana. Psychology in Louisiana. Engineering in Louisiana.
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with SOWELA Technical Community College before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024. Last verified: June 10, 2026.
Facts on this profile of SOWELA Technical 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). SOWELA Technical Community College, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/sowela-technical-community-college
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