Capital Area Technical College

Capital Area Technical College-Baton Rouge: Academics, Admissions & Tuition

Learn about Capital Area Technical College. Read about its admission requirements, financial aid, degree, certificate and training programs to make an informed education decision.

About Capital Area Technical College

Growing out of a collection of trade schools that began in the 1930s, Louisiana established a state-wide system in 1995 comprised of 1 technical college with 42 campuses. In 2006, the state-wide system was restructured to create multi-campus regions. The Baton Rouge region was renamed in 2010 along with changes in accreditation that now grouped all the campuses in the region together; the former Louisiana Technical College Region 2 was renamed Capital Area Technical College.

The main campus is in north Baton Rouge, located on 11 acres of land. Classrooms, shops and labs, conference rooms, a student activity center and offices are located together at this facility. For purposes of the statistics in the table below, most information has been derived from this campus location. However, there are also 2 extension campuses located less than 10 miles from the main campus. Also in Baton Rouge, the Frazier extension offers courses in cosmetology and barber/styling. The Port Allen extension in neighboring West Baton Rouge Parish offers courses in welding and assistant nursing.

Academics

An associate degree, diploma, or certificate may be earned in a variety of programs across the campuses. While the entire college has 26 programs of study, the main campus at Baton Rouge has the most programs with 16 certificate, diploma and degree options.

While most of the programs take 2 years or less to complete, the occupational education program offered at the Baton Rouge campus is a 5-year program. The shortest program offered by the college is the 6-week nursing assistant program. The medical assistant, patient care technician and pharmacy technician programs are all 12 months long. All the other programs require between 21 and 24 months of study.

Admissions

Applicants for diploma programs, or those who seek financial aid, are required to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent, or be at least 17 years old and pass an 'ability to benefit' test. The test can be either the COMPASS or ASSET placement tests. This test requirement also applies to any applicant whose diploma comes from an online or correspondence high school.

Applications require a $5 fee to process. If COMPASS or ASSET placement exams are taken, there is a $15 fee for the test. If less than 3 years old, previous ACT, SAT, COMPASS or ASSET scores may be submitted. Official proof of an existing college or university degree may be submitted in place of test results.

Tuition & Financial Aid

As of fall 2012, Louisiana residents have a cost of $59.20 per credit and out-of-state residents have a cost of $124.20 per credit. Full-time tuition for 12 or more credit hours costs $710.40 for in-state residents and $1,490.40 for out-of-state residents. Online tuition costs $122 per credit hour. Additional fees apply, including some assessed per credit hour (technology, operational, academic excellence, student services, SGA and ERP fees, totaling between $25 and $35 per credit hour) and some assessed per course or semester depending upon certain variables.

Assistance with financial aid is available from the college. The FAFSA is required for students desiring federal or state aid and various institution-issued awards, as handled by the school's financial aid officer. Applicants with disabilities may be eligible for assistance from Louisiana Rehabilitation Services, which may cover the costs of tuition, books, supplies, transportation and meals.

CAPITAL AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE CAMPUS QUICK FACTS
School Type	2-year, public*
Degrees Offered	Less than 1 year certificate 1 but less than 2 year certificate Associate's degree*
Religious Affiliation	None*
Academic Calendar	Semesters***
School Setting	Midsize city*
Student Body	4,241 (all undergraduate)*
Student Housing	None*
ACADEMICS
Schools (and/or) Programs	26 programs of study*
Student-Faculty Ratio	27 to 1*
Most Popular Fields of Study by Degree Level (Number of Recipients)	For completions in 2010-11 Less than 1 year certificate: Precision Production (694) 1 but less than 2 year certificate: Precision Production (201) Associate's degree: Engineering Technology and Engineering-Related Fields (6)*
Undergraduate Graduation Rates	For students who began in fall 2008: 38%*
ADMISSIONS
Admission Rate	Open admissions***
Entering Class Size	In 2010: 331 degree and certificate seeking students**
First-Year Retention Rates	For students who began in fall 2010: 55% (full-time students) 31% (part-time students)*
Application Due Date	Approximately 2 weeks prior to registration***
TUITION & FINANCIAL AID
Tuition (for 2011-12)	$1,504 (in-state) $3,064 (out-of-state) (does not include books or supplies)*
Financial Aid Sources Available (Percent of Students Receiving it)	For full-time beginning undergraduates in 2010-11: Pell grants (94%) State/local government grants or scholarships (47%)*
Percent of Students Receiving Some Form of Aid	For full-time beginning undergraduates in 2010-11: 94%*

Sources: *College Navigator, National Center for Education Statistics, **IPEDS Data Center, National Center for Education Statistics, ***Capital Area Technical College

School Contact Information

Address: Office of Admissions, Capital Area Technical College - Baton Rouge, 3250 N. Acadian Thruway E., Baton Rouge, LA 70805
Phone: (225) 359-9201
Website: www.catc.edu