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Jefferson State at a Glance

Jefferson State Community College, one of Alabama's leading two-year colleges, has provided excellence in education and workforce training for the greater Birmingham area for over 40 years. Founded in 1965, Jefferson State offers more than 120 university transfer programs, 20 career programs with multiple options, and numerous certificate programs.

Jefferson State also offers a comprehensive approach to workforce training through a variety of credit and non-credit programs. The college serves over 11,000 students (approximately 7300 for credit and 3600 for non-credit). Several convenient locations, along with online instruction, provide the accessibility needed in a busy lifestyle. Locations include the Shelby-Hoover Campus in northern Shelby County, the Jefferson Campus in eastern Jefferson County, the St. Clair Center-Pell City site and the Chilton-Clanton Center.

  • Founded - Jefferson Campus in 1965 and Shelby-Hoover Campus in 1993
  • Locations
    • Jefferson Campus near the intersection of Highway 79 & Carson Road
    • Shelby-Hoover Campus in North Shelby County on Valleydale Road
    • St. Clair Center, Moody Alabama
    • Pell City Center, Pell City, Alabama
    • Chilton-Clanton Site, Clanton, Alabama
  • Accreditation - Jefferson State is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Associate Degree. Individual academic programs are nationally accredited by 10 different professional evaluating organizations.
  • Enrollment - Approximately 7300 students enrolled, approximately 3100 attend classes at the Shelby-Hoover Campus
  • Student Faculty Ratio - 23 to 1
  • Student Characteristics - Average age 26, 56 percent under age 23, 33 percent between ages 23 and 40, 60 percent female
  • Estimated Costs - Including tuition and fees, the approximate cost per semester for full-time students is $1224.00. Annual tuition to attend a two-year college is just over 50 percent of the tuition to attend a public four-year university in Alabama.
  • Programs of Study - Jefferson State offers more than 120 University Transfer Programs, 40 Career Programs and numerous Certificate Programs. These programs are offered during the day, evening, weekends and via the Internet.
  • Workforce Development - Jefferson State offers a comprehensive approach to customized workforce training through an ACT Center, Training for Business and Industry, GED programs, adult education, remedial education, workforce readiness training, and programs to assist dislocated workers, displaced homemakers and other special populations.
  • Alabama Community College System Fast Facts
    •  The System seeks to provide affordable, accessible quality educational opportunities, to promote economic growth, and to enhance the quality of life for people of Alabama.
    • 65 percent of all college freshmen and sophomores in Alabama are enrolled in Alabama Community College System institutions.
    • 96 percent of Alabama Community College System students are from Alabama.
    • 80 percent of all new jobs in the next decade will require postsecondary education, but not necessarily university degrees.
    • Two-year college graduates earn 24 percent more in the workplace than those with a high school diploma.
    • The average age of the Alabama Community College System student is 28 and 23 percent are over age 40.
    • Two-year college students transferring to four-year universities and enrolling in teacher education programs have a pass rate of 94 percent on the Basic Skills Test compared with an 85 percent pass rate for all other students.
    • 98 percent of all new practical nurses and 55 percent of all new professional nurses in Alabama during the past three years have graduated from Alabama Community College System institutions.
    • 81 percent of professional and practical nursing graduates from Alabama Community College System institutions pass the national licensure examination on their first attempt, exceeding the State Board of Nursing standards that require a minimum 80 percent passing rate.
    • The Alabama Community College System offers customized training and other special assistance to approximately 10,000 employees of 900 Alabama businesses and industries each year.
    • The Alabama Community College System enrolls 55 percent of all first-time college students in Alabama.
    • Fifteen years ago there were 43 public two-year colleges, and today there are 29. Mergers and consolidations have redirected approximately $30 million in duplicative administrative costs into teaching and learning.