Huntsville, ALpublicdrakestate.edu
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College in Huntsville, AL, is an open-admission institution offering flexible, affordable technical and university-transfer degrees. Known for its specialized programs in engineering technologies and health sciences, the college provides a supportive environment with a 13:1 student-faculty ratio. Drake State emphasizes career readiness, with scholarships and financial aid available to help students manage costs.
More details
Outcomes & value
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Drake State has an open admissions policy, accepting all students who meet the basic admission criteria. Applications are processed for each of the three academic semesters (fall, spring, summer). Key details:
Drake State offers associate degrees, certificates, and non-credit courses across 16 programs, with a focus on career-ready pathways. Highlights:
- Advanced Manufacturing (10 programs) - Automotive (3) - Business Administration (6) - Computer Information Systems (4) - Health Sciences (7) [13]
Student engagement at Drake State includes:
Note: Limited data is available on clubs or athletics; the linked Drake University page [18] is not applicable to Drake State.
Drake State's student outcomes include:
- Median salary: $28,281 (Allnurses) [21] - Average graduate earnings (10 years): $26,300–$29,700 [22]
Tuition and financial aid details:
- Academic Excellence Scholarship: $4,000 ($2,000 per semester) [23][25] - First-Time Freshman Scholarship: $3,000 ($1,500 per semester) [23]
Drake State distinguishes itself through: