SOWELA Technical Community College
Tel:
(337)421-6565
- The mission of SOWELA Technical Community College is to provide a lifelong learning and teaching environment designed to afford every student an equal opportunity to develop to his/her full potential. SOWELA Technical Community College is a public, comprehensive technical community college offering programs including associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates as well as noncredit courses. The college is committed to accessible and affordable quality education, relevant training, and retraining by providing post-secondary academic and technical education to meet the educational advancement and workforce development needs of the community.
School Highlights
- SOWELA Technical Community College serves 3,411 students (53% of students are full-time).
- The college's student:teacher ratio of 33:1 is lower than the state community college average of 35:1.
- Minority enrollment is 31% of the student body (majority Black), which is less than the state average of 55%.
- SOWELA Technical Community College is one of 2 community colleges within Calcasieu County, LA.
- The nearest community college to SOWELA Technical Community College is Delta School of Business and Technology (3.2 miles away).
Top Placements
SOWELA Technical Community College places among the top 20% of community colleges in Louisiana for:
- Category Attribute
- Community Size Largest student body
- Student Earnings Highest graduate earnings (10 years post graduation)
- Debt For Students Least debt for graduating students
School Overview
- The teacher population of 102 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
| SOWELA Technical Community College | (LA) Community College Avg. | |
| Carnegie Classification | Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges | Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges |
| Institution Level | Less than 2 yrs | Four or more years |
| Institution Control | Public | Public |
| Total Faculty | 102 staff | 26 staff |
| Total Enrollment | 3,411 students | 1,493 students |
| Student:Teacher Ratio | 33:1 | 35:1 |
| # Full-Time Students | 1,815 students | 382 students |
| # Part-Time Students | 1,596 students | 1,111 students |
| % American Indian/Alaskan | 1% | 1% |
| % Asian | 1% | 2% |
| % Hispanic | 2% | 6% |
| % Black | 23% | 35% |
| % White | 69% | 45% |
| % Two or more races | 1% | 1% |
| % Unknown races | 3% | 9% |
| Diversity Score | 0.47 | 0.66 |
 | ||
| College Completion Rate | 37% | 47% |
| Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years) | $35,800 | $30,100 |
Source: 2016 (or latest year available) IPEDS
School Notes
- SOWELA Technical Community College was created in 1938 by the Louisiana Legislature as The Southwest Louisiana Trades School of Lake Charles, Louisiana. While it has had a variety of names over the past, its mission has always been the same: to provide opportunities for people to qualify for jobs which will lead to meaningful and productive careers. If you wish to earn a degree or diploma in a program of study, or if you only want to take a few classes to learn a specific skill or to upgrade existing skills, SOWELA is here to assist you. If you want to enrich your life by learning something that you've always wanted to know to specialize in a particular kind of culinary art, for example we can help you do that. SOWELA's small class sizes, affordable tuition, highly qualified faculty, convenient class times, beautiful campus, and a wide variety of student services combine to make it the right choice for many people. At SOWELA, you will see state-of-the-art curricula, facilities and equipment. Our campus is conveniently located to most regions of Southwest Louisiana, and our online courses can help you juggle the busy lifestyles of today.
Nearby Schools
- The nearest community college to SOWELA Technical Community College is Delta School of Business and Technology (3.2 miles away).
- College Location Mi. Students
- Delta School of Business and TechnologyPrivate, for profit208 students | 3.20 Mi517 Broad St
Lake Charles, LA 70601
(337)439-5765 3.20208 - 150 students | 30.10 Mi1230 North Main Street
Jennings, LA 70546
(337)824-4811 30.10150 - 2,259 students | 35.20 Mi410 Front St
Orange, TX 77630
(409)883-7750 35.202,259 - 259 students | 45.80 Mi1933 W Hutchinson Ave
Crowley, LA 70526
(337)788-7521 45.80259 - 2,738 students | 46.90 Mi2048 Johnson Hwy
Eunice, LA 70535
(337)457-7311 46.902,738
Recent Articles
We look at why millions of Americans are choosing community college over a traditional four-year school today.
Many students enroll in community college with the intent of transferring to a four-year school. Of those who do, many succeed, and yet traditional colleges and universities continue to overlook them. Read on to learn more about why more community college students don’t transfer schools and to receive some tips for making the transfer yourself.
Community college is the only option for many students who either can’t afford a traditional four-year university or who need a more flexible school environment. Just because community college is different, however, doesn’t mean that its students matter any less. The Aspen Prize exists to encourage community colleges to do more for their students and to continually strive for improvement.
