Northeast Alabama Community College vs Northwest Shoals Community College: Softball Program Comparison

Two JUCO programs in the ACCC. Northwest Shoals Community College graduates 1 point more of its students; Northeast Alabama Community College graduates earn $1,085 more a decade out.

Which one is right for you?

Neither school is better in the abstract — they are better for different athletes. These are the differences big enough to actually decide on.

Lean Northeast Alabama Community College if…

  • You are weighing the degree as an investment: Northeast Alabama Community College graduates earn about $1,085 more per year a decade after enrolling.
  • You want to leave with less owed: median debt at Northeast Alabama Community College is $3,900 lower than at Northwest Shoals Community College.

Lean Northwest Shoals Community College if…

  • Finishing the degree is the priority: Northwest Shoals Community College graduates 1 percentage points more of its students than Northeast Alabama Community College.
  • You need an evaluation this summer: we track 1 camp at Northwest Shoals Community College against none listed at Northeast Alabama Community College.

What it costs to go there

Published sticker price: tuition from the federal College Scorecard, room and board from IPEDS. Almost nobody pays it — athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off the top — but the gap between two schools is a fair read on the gap between two offers.

What it costs to go there: Northeast Alabama Community College compared with Northwest Shoals Community College
MeasureNortheast Alabama Community CollegeNorthwest Shoals Community College
In-state tuition & fees$5,040$5,131
Out-of-state tuition & fees$8,910$9,001

What you leave with

Federal College Scorecard figures for all students at the institution, not softball players specifically. Read them as a signal about the degree, not about the program.

What you leave with: Northeast Alabama Community College compared with Northwest Shoals Community College
MeasureNortheast Alabama Community CollegeNorthwest Shoals Community College
Graduation rate32%33% — Northwest Shoals Community College leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree
Median earnings, 10 years after entry$34,913/yr — Northeast Alabama Community College leads on this measure: higher median earnings a decade out$33,828/yr
Median debt at graduation$6,100 — Northeast Alabama Community College leads on this measure: less debt carried out the door$10,000
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.17% — Northeast Alabama Community College leads on this measure: debt is a smaller share of what graduates earn30%

Getting in, and what you'd walk into

Admissions and size. A coach can support your file, but at most schools they cannot admit you — the academic profile below is the bar you still have to clear.

Getting in, and what you'd walk into: Northeast Alabama Community College compared with Northwest Shoals Community College
MeasureNortheast Alabama Community CollegeNorthwest Shoals Community College
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.2,9054,136
Where it isRainsville, ALMuscle Shoals, AL

The softball program itself

Division and conference set the ceiling; the postseason record and staff tell you what the program has actually done with it.

The softball program itself: Northeast Alabama Community College compared with Northwest Shoals Community College
MeasureNortheast Alabama Community CollegeNorthwest Shoals Community College
Head coachJoe Guthrie—

How you actually get in front of them

Camps and questionnaires are the two channels a recruit controls. Where a program runs its own camp, that camp is usually the shortest path to being evaluated by the staff that would recruit you.

How you actually get in front of them: Northeast Alabama Community College compared with Northwest Shoals Community College
MeasureNortheast Alabama Community CollegeNorthwest Shoals Community College
Camps we track—1 listed (1 with dates)

Scholarship money, honestly

Both programs sit at JUCO (NJCAA & community colleges), so the scholarship rules are identical: varies by njcaa division. Scholarship availability at junior colleges varies by NJCAA division — some can offer full athletic scholarships, some offer tuition-level aid, and NJCAA Division III offers no athletic aid.

How JUCO softball scholarships actually work →

What to do about it this week

Questionnaires are exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit one at any age. A program's own camp is where its staff does most of its evaluating — submit the questionnaire first so they know to look for you.

Northeast Alabama Community College

Find the recruiting questionnaire

We do not hold a verified form link for this program — this opens a search.

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Northwest Shoals Community College

Find the recruiting questionnaire

We do not hold a verified form link for this program — this opens a search.

Camps we track

Northeast Alabama Community College vs Northwest Shoals Community College: common questions

Which school graduates more of its students, Northeast Alabama Community College or Northwest Shoals Community College?
Northwest Shoals Community College, at 33% against 32% at Northeast Alabama Community College (IPEDS 2023-2024). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Northeast Alabama Community College and Northwest Shoals Community College offer softball scholarships?
Both play at JUCO (NJCAA & community colleges): varies by njcaa division. Scholarship availability at junior colleges varies by NJCAA division — some can offer full athletic scholarships, some offer tuition-level aid, and NJCAA Division III offers no athletic aid.
Do Northeast Alabama Community College and Northwest Shoals Community College run softball camps?
We track 1 camp at Northwest Shoals Community College and none currently listed at Northeast Alabama Community College. Camp listings change through the year — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Tuition, graduation, earnings, debt and admission rates from the federal College Scorecard (U.S. Dept. of Education, released June 10, 2026). Room and board, enrollment, and graduation rates at two-year colleges from IPEDS (2023-2024). Postseason results from the NCAA Division I softball tournament records, 2021-2026. Rankings from NCAA.com and U.S. News & World Report. Figures describe the institution, not the softball roster.

We work hard to keep all data for Northeast Alabama Community College and Northwest Shoals Community College accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

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