Central Lakes College-Brainerd vs South Central College

Central Lakes College-Brainerd and South Central College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Minnesota, offer distinct educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. Central Lakes boasts an acceptance rate of 100%, welcoming all qualified applicants with open arms, while South Central maintains a slightly more selective approach with an acceptance rate of 98%. Central Lakes' student body is predominantly female, with 61% female students compared to South Central's more balanced gender distribution of 52% female and 48% male students. When it comes to popular majors, Central Lakes excels in Liberal Arts and Humanities, while South Central shines in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Central Lakes achieving a 33% graduation rate and South Central reaching a commendable 31%. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting these key differences and more. Dive into the details
Central Lakes College-Brainerd logo

Central Lakes College-Brainerd

South Central College logo

South Central College

Overview

Location Brainerd, Minnesota North Mankato, Minnesota
Campus setting Town: Remote Suburb: Small
College type 2 year 2 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 58.0% 48.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate Open Admission Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT) Not required Not required
High school GPA N/A N/A
Recommendation letters N/A N/A
High school transcript N/A N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) N/A N/A

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $19,197 $19,416
Average net price $12,279 $10,025
Tuition $5,240 $5,310
Room & board
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

79.0%
Average amount $4,719
92.0%
Average amount $4,485
Students receiving federal student loan 35.0%
Average amount $4,808
31.0%
Average amount $4,564
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $8,881
1.0%
Average amount $6,600

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 4,448
Men 40.9% Women 59.1%
2,511
Men 43.1% Women 56.9%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 0.1% 2.2%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity N/A N/A
First year students are required to live on campus? N/A N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Transportation and Logistics
  • Agriculture
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Precision Production
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Business
  • Precision Production
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 14:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 47.6% 30.1%
Dropout rate 38.0% 45.3%
Transferred out 12.2% 14.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $56,641
  • Year 3: $61,809
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,757
  • Year 2: $57,576
  • Year 3: $60,915
Ground Transportation (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $51,968
  • Year 2: $48,563
  • Year 3: $55,739
Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,734
  • Year 2: $44,021
  • Year 3: $50,675
Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $35,344
  • Year 2: $44,468
  • Year 3: $49,014
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $47,725
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $38,812
  • Year 2: $39,286
  • Year 3: $40,518
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: $35,959
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,731
  • Year 2: $33,370
  • Year 3: $35,107
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $24,421
  • Year 3: $30,432
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,865
  • Year 2: $53,608
  • Year 3: $60,763
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $58,877
Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,193
  • Year 3: $47,023
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $43,798
  • Year 3: $45,920
Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $38,922
  • Year 2: $41,193
  • Year 3: $44,861
Accounting and Related Services (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $36,042
  • Year 3: $39,303
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,650
  • Year 2: $36,992
  • Year 3: $37,429
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,290
  • Year 2: $33,077
  • Year 3: $35,263
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,122
  • Year 2: $30,554
  • Year 3: $33,793
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,967
  • Year 3: $29,564