Helms College
Augusta, GA 30907
About Helms College
Helms College is a private trade and vocational school in Augusta, Georgia, enrolling about 183 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. Typical net price after grant aid is about $25,358 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $17,924. Student demographics in federal data include Black or African American (74.3%) and White (21.9%) among the largest enrollment groups.
Key findings
- Helms College charges 39% below the national private non-profit median tuition ($17,924).
- Versus the Georgia median, sticker tuition is about 2.1×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 36.36%.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helms College | $17,924 | $25,358 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Georgia (state median) | $8,492 | $9,196 | 117 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Helms College really?
Key findings
- Helms College charges 39% below the national private non-profit median tuition ($17,924).
- Versus the Georgia median, sticker tuition is about 2.1×.
Helms College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $17,924
Finding Helms College charges 39% below the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $17,924. That is 39% below the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Georgia median ($8,492), sticker tuition is about 2.1×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 51% above.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Helms College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Helms College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Helms College is $25,358.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $25,358 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $16,162 above the Georgia median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $7,310 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Helms College, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Helms College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Helms College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
High completion indicates students finish programs at scale; it does not alone measure instructional quality or labor-market fit.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$17,924
Avg. net price
$25,358
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $25,130 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $24,250 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $24,529 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $30,291 |
| $110,001+ | $30,291 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $71,696. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Helms College is known for
Top program completions
- Culinary Arts/Chef Training69
- Culinary Arts & Related Services27
- Medical/Clinical Assistant11
- Renal/Dialysis Technologist/Technician9
- Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician7
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Helms College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Helms College is a good school for those looking for high program completion rates.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Helms College.
Campus
Location
Augusta, GA
City / state
- ZIP
- 30907
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is 41% above the median for Suburban campuses ($18,048 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Southeast
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Two-Year: Other Fields
Size
Enrollment
183
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 332
- Full-time share
- 100%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$9,500
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 67.33%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Helms College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Helms College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Helms College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $12,764 | $12,764 | — |
| 2014 | $15,064 | $15,064 | $13,337 |
| 2015 | $15,311 | $15,311 | $15,950 |
| 2016 | $16,259 | $16,259 | $17,073 |
| 2017 | $17,072 | $17,072 | $17,002 |
| 2018 | $13,460 | $13,460 | $17,502 |
| 2019 | $13,460 | $13,460 | $20,173 |
| 2020 | $13,460 | $13,460 | $17,733 |
| 2021 | $13,460 | $13,460 | $20,957 |
| 2022 | $13,460 | $13,460 | $18,305 |
| 2023 | $17,924 | $17,924 | $21,117 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Helms College reported total enrollment of about 183 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 49% male and 51% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Black or African American (74.3%), White (21.9%), and Hispanic or Latino (2.2%). About 67.33% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 47.1% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
100.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Helms College in 2024 is 183 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 332 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
86.7%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
36.36% 100% Completion Time
36.36% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 36.36% of students graduating from Helms College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Culinary Arts/Chef Training: 49% male / 51% female
- Culinary Arts & Related Services: 48% male / 52% female
- Medical/Clinical Assistant: 0% male / 100% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
What do Helms College graduates earn—and in which programs?
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Helms College.
Evidence Median federal loan debt: $9,500. Average net price used in cost models: $25,358.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Helms College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 5 programs by IPEDS completions (6 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Helms College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Helms College graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Helms College—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 100.0%
- Georgia median 37.7 pp above median (62.3%)
- Southeast median 40.6 pp above median (59.4%)
- U.S. median 42.0 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $4,560
- Georgia median 0.74× the median ($6,152)
- Southeast median 0.67× the median ($6,825)
- U.S. median 0.60× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $13,348
- Georgia median 2.3× the median ($5,760)
- Southeast median 2.0× the median ($6,602)
- U.S. median 1.8× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Helms College at a glance
Helms College
Helms College is a private non-profit institution in Augusta, GA, classified as Special Focus Two-Year: Other Fields.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Culinary Arts/Chef TrainingCulinary Arts & Related ServicesMedical/Clinical Assistant
- Largest enrollment groups
- Black or African American74.3%White or Caucasian21.9%Hispanic or Latino2.2%
Schools near Helms College
Other campuses in Augusta, GA when available, plus nearby institutions in Georgia.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C-) within Georgia, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Helms College located?
Helms College is located in Augusta, GA.
What is Helms College's tuition?
Helms College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $17,924 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $25,358 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Helms College cost?
Reported tuition is $17,924 and average net price is $25,358 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $8,792 annually.
What is the student body demographics at Helms College?
Helms College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 332 students, Black or African American (74.3%), White (21.9%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Helms College?
About 47.1% of students at Helms College are first-generation college students.
What is the graduation rate at Helms College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 36.4% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Helms College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $9,500.
Is Helms College public or private?
Helms College is a private nonprofit institution located in Augusta, GA.
Is Helms College an HBCU?
No. Helms College is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Helms College a tribal college?
No. Helms College is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Helms College a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, Helms College does not meet that proxy (reported share 2.2%).
Is Helms College religiously affiliated?
No religious affiliation is reported for Helms College in IPEDS institutional characteristics.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.