Do Students Succeed at Southwest Tennessee Community College?
Student success metrics for Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis, TN: graduation, transfer, and retention data.
Student Success at Southwest Tennessee Community College at a Glance
Southwest Tennessee Community College is a public institution offering at least 2 but less than 4 years programs located in Memphis, TN. Current enrollment is 7,004 students.
- 19% overall graduation rate (IPEDS)
- 18.6% of all entering students earn their award within 8 years
- 76% of exiters from its largest program (UNIVERSITY PARALLEL) were employed within 6 months — verified by the U.S. Department of Labor
- DOL-verified median earnings of $5,761 per quarter after exiting UNIVERSITY PARALLEL
- 972 graduates across 58 programs in 2024
- VA-approved for GI Bill benefits — 185 students used them here (Yellow Ribbon participant)
Program-Level Results · Verified by the U.S. Department of Labor
Verified Program Outcomes
Completion and employment results reported to the U.S. Department of Labor for Southwest Tennessee Community College programs on the state Eligible Training Provider List. Missing values ("—") mean the state suppressed or did not report that metric — they never mean zero.
| Program | Completion rate | Employed 6 mo after exit | Employed 1 yr after exit | Median quarterly earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY PARALLEL | 12% | 76% | 77% | $5,761 |
| CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES | 5% | 82% | 79% | $7,224 |
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY | 19% | 76% | 75% | $9,151 |
| NURSING | 41% | 66% | 74% | $11,258 |
| GRAPHIC ARTS TECHNOLOGY, GRAPHIC ARTS PRODUCTION CONCENTRATION | 21% | 70% | 77% | $5,584 |
| EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | — | 71% | 69% | $6,253 |
| COMPUTER ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY | 13% | 77% | 74% | $6,366 |
| EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN-BASIC | 76% | 90% | 97% | $8,978 |
| HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT | — | 88% | 77% | $4,985 |
| Freight Broker/ Agent Training | 64% | — | — | — |
| LABORATORY PHLEBOTOMY TECHNICIAN | 62% | 88% | 86% | $8,529 |
| ACCOUNTING | 19% | 81% | 81% | $7,998 |
| PARALEGAL STUDIES | — | 60% | 55% | $6,603 |
| ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY | 23% | 68% | 53% | $8,731 |
| ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL TECHNOLOGY | — | 84% | 67% | $6,511 |
| MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY | — | 87% | 85% | $12,674 |
| BASIC EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY | 39% | 86% | 82% | $9,624 |
| MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN | 85% | 95% | 97% | $15,439 |
| PHARMACY TECHNICIAN TECHNICAL CERTIFICATE | 50% | 69% | 75% | $6,520 |
| EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES -PARAMEDIC | 33% | 92% | 80% | $22,698 |
| ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY | — | 73% | 64% | $7,477 |
| SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING TECHNICAL CERTIFICATE | 52% | 71% | 67% | $4,908 |
| ELECTRIC UTILITY CONSTRUCTION (LINEMAN) | 84% | 53% | 32% | $18,112 |
| TEACHING | — | 100% | 83% | $6,374 |
| CNC Machine Operator - Measurement, Materials, and Safety | 95% | 90% | 81% | $2,912 |
| CNC Operator - Planning, Benchwork, and Layout | 95% | 86% | 82% | $9,909 |
| MEDICAL BILLING AND CODING | 73% | 81% | 75% | $6,988 |
| EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TECHNICAL CERTIFICATE | — | 88% | 100% | $4,791 |
| BIOTECHNOLOGY | — | 67% | 83% | $4,799 |
| MEDICAL BILLING AND CODING (CCI Online) | 70% | — | — | — |
| GENERAL TECHNOLOGY | — | 100% | — | $4,134 |
| EKG TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION PROGRAM | 88% | 89% | 88% | $5,416 |
| Basic Machines, Cams, and Turnbuckles | 100% | — | — | — |
| COMPUTER SOFTWARE SPECIALIST | — | 100% | 100% | $6,527 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, WIOA participant outcomes (trainingproviderresults.gov), PY 2023.
College-Wide Statistics · IPEDS Federal Survey
What Are the Student Outcomes at Southwest Tennessee Community College?
Unlike the program-level results above, the figures below cover all students at Southwest Tennessee Community College, tracked over eight years by the federal IPEDS survey.
Overall Completion Rate
18.6%
Working Student Success
19%
Transfer Out Rate
34.3%
Still Enrolled Rate
1.3%
How Southwest Tennessee Community College Compares
Southwest Tennessee Community College reports 19% completion, on the lower end of the trade-college range. 1% are still enrolled, which means the final picture is still forming. Even so, prospective students should weigh this against the school's strengths in other dimensions.
What Happens After Students Enroll at Southwest Tennessee Community College?
Eight-Year Student Outcomes
Eight-year outcomes for students who entered Southwest Tennessee Community College. This shows what happened to students in their cohort by the end of the tracking period.
Understanding These Outcomes
Completed: Students who earned a certificate, diploma, or degree from this institution.
Still Enrolled: Students who remain enrolled at this institution after the tracking period.
Transferred Out: Students who transferred to another institution and may have completed there.
No Award: Students who left without earning a credential and are not enrolled elsewhere.
Combined completion and transfer rate of 36.4% indicates strong student success pathways.
These outcomes track what happened to students eight years after they first enrolled. Completion rates include certificates, diplomas, and degrees earned at this institution. Transfer rates show students who continued their education at other colleges. Understanding these pathways helps prospective students set realistic expectations and plan their educational journey.
What Are the Transfer and Continuation Patterns at Southwest Tennessee Community College?
Success Rates by Student Entry Pathway
Comparing completion rates across different student entry pathways helps understand which groups succeed and how transfer experience impacts outcomes.
Key Insights
Transfer students outperform first-time students by 7.0 percentage points, suggesting the institution provides strong support for transfer pathways and recognizes prior learning effectively.
Combined 32.5% transfer-out rate suggests this institution may serve as a stepping stone for students continuing their education elsewhere.
Cohort Composition
Understanding Student Pathways
First-Time Students: Beginning postsecondary education for the first time at this institution.
Transfer-In Students: Previously attended another postsecondary institution before enrolling here.
Continuing Students: Returned to this institution after a break in enrollment.
Completion rates tracked over 8 years from initial entry.
Different student entry pathways lead to varying success rates. First-time students enter directly from high school or are starting college for the first time. Transfer students bring prior college experience and credits. Understanding these patterns helps you identify which pathway aligns best with your situation and predict your likelihood of success.
What Are the Completion Rates by Student Type at Southwest Tennessee Community College?
What does this mean for you? These completion rates show how different types of students succeed at this institution. Notably, part-time students have a higher success rate here (19% vs 18.6% for full-time), which is great news if you plan to work while studying. This pattern is common at trade colleges where programs are designed to accommodate working adults. First-time students are those new to college, while transfer students have attended another institution before.
What Are the Cohort Outcomes Over Time at Southwest Tennessee Community College?
Tracking outcomes for the 2015-16 cohort of 3,723 students
After 4 Years
After 6 Years
After 8 Years (Final)
Final Student Status
Completion Breakdown by Cohort
Part-time First-time Transfer Students
All First-time Transfer Students
Full-time Non-first-time Transfer Students
Part-time First-time Students
Full-time First-time Transfer Students
All Part-time Students
All First-time Students
All Non-first-time Transfer Students
Time to Completion
About This Data
Outcome measures data tracks student cohorts over 4, 6, and 8-year periods. Data is sourced from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reflects the most recent available reporting year.