A St. Louis CC
with a real transfer track record in Missouri
You're deciding whether STLCC makes sense as the first two years of a bachelor's in the St. Louis region. The transfer-out rate, what you'll owe when you leave, and what earnings look like a decade out are the numbers that matter.
15,649 undergrads, 36% transfer out by year 8, median $35k 10-yr earnings, $6,725 median debt.
A St. Louis-metro CC with above-average transfer-out and a clean debt profile
Saint Louis Community College enrolls roughly 15,600 undergraduates across the St. Louis metro, with 65% attending part-time. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 36% — well above the 15–25% national band for community colleges and the strongest signal in the packet. Liberal Arts and Sciences dominates program volume at 1,181 completions, the classic transfer-prep block, with Registered Nursing at 233. Median earnings ten years out are $35,325 and median borrower debt is just $6,725 with a 0% three-year loan default rate. In-district tuition runs $2,970 and net price is $8,440.
Saint Louis Community College enrolls 15,649 undergraduates across the Bridgeton-based district serving the St. Louis metro, with 65% attending part-time. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 36% — well above the 15–25% range typical for community colleges nationally, and the clearest signal in the packet that students here actually move on to four-year work. Liberal Arts and Sciences is the largest program at 1,181 completions, a classic transfer-prep track, with Registered Nursing next at 233. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $35,325, median borrower debt is $6,725, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. In-district tuition is $2,970 and net price is $8,440. For a St. Louis-area student weighing a transfer path, STLCC offers genuine momentum at a manageable cost.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 1,181 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 233 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications. | 73 |
| Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. | 71 |
| Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping. | 56 |
| Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General. | 55 |
| Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic). | 48 |
| Legal Assistant/Paralegal. | 39 |
| Dental Hygiene/Hygienist. | 31 |
| Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer. | 31 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where Missouri transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is Saint Louis Community College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The numbers make a solid case. STLCC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 36%, which sits well above the 15–25% national range for community colleges — a meaningful signal given that 65% of students attend part-time, a population that typically depresses transfer rates. In-district tuition is $2,970 and net price after aid is $8,440, so the cost side is controllable. Median borrower debt is $6,725 — one of the lower figures you'll see at a CC of this scale — with a 0% three-year loan default rate. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $35,325. Liberal Arts and Sciences completions at 1,181 indicate a substantial transfer-prep pipeline. For a student committed to finishing at a four-year school in Missouri, STLCC is a credible starting point.
- How does Saint Louis Community College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- STLCC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 36%, which is substantially above the 15–25% range that national research places around the typical community college. Another 2.4% of students are still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 19% had completed a credential at STLCC itself. The 65% part-time attendance rate is worth flagging — part-time students transfer at lower rates nationally because life circumstances compete with academic momentum — so the 36% figure is actually pulling above its weight given the student mix. Taken together, the data suggests STLCC functions as a genuine feeder into four-year programs in the state rather than a terminal-credential stop, which matters for a student deciding whether momentum here will carry into a bachelor's.
- What programs does Saint Louis Community College teach at meaningful scale?
- STLCC's top programs by completions are Liberal Arts and Sciences (1,181), Registered Nursing (233), Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (73), Automotive Mechanics Technology (71), and Accounting Technology and Bookkeeping (56). Applied Horticulture adds 55 completions, EMT Paramedic 48, Legal Assistant 39, and Dental Hygiene and Radiologic Technology 31 each. The dominant block is Liberal Arts — the classic transfer-prep track feeding four-year programs — at more than five times the next largest program. Registered Nursing is the standout credential-track offering. Several allied-health programs (Dental Hygiene, Radiologic Technology, EMT) operate at smaller but meaningful volume. The overall shape is a CC optimized for transfer, with a secondary layer of healthcare and technical credentials.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.