KCC among most affordable colleges in Michigan

KCC student Kapri Smith walks between reflecting pools on the North Avenue campus.

An annual survey of tuition and fees at all 28 of Michigan’s community colleges shows Kellogg Community College is the fifth most affordable in the state.

The Gibson Survey each year tallies tuition, fees and other costs for a fictional, in-district student who enrolls in each of the following freshman courses: English, math, biology and psychology/sociology. The purpose of the survey is to determine the actual amount a student pays to take a semester’s worth of classes. Those expenses, which don’t include textbooks, are presented in the survey as a “cost per credit” for each of the 28 community colleges across the state.

The 2013 survey, compiled and released this month by the Michigan Community College Business Officers Association, shows KCC’s cost per credit is $106.04. On the survey, costs per credit ranged from $82.11 to $171.42. The average was $124.73.

Costs per credit differ from each college’s tuition rate, which is a flat charge per credit hour. KCC’s tuition rate, for example, is $89.50 for in-district students.

“We work diligently to keep our costs as affordable as possible because we know students are watching every dollar they spend on education,” said Rick Scott, chief financial officer at KCC and president of MCCBOA.

Scott noted that three of the four colleges ranked as more affordable – Macomb Community College, Oakland Community College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College – are significantly larger and in communities with much bigger tax bases, which help in lowering actual costs to students.

For more news about KCC, view our latest press releases online at daily.kellogg.edu/category/press-releases.