Kilgore College (KC) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

Kilgore College is a community college in Kilgore, Texas. The college was first established in 1935. Today, more than 5000 students attend Kilgore. The college is especially well-known for its historical collection in the East Texas Oil Museum.

Kilgore draws students from a large, rural section of East Texas with several independent school districts. The catchment area for Kilgore includes the following districts:

Big Sandy
Carlisle
Mount Enterprise
New Diana
Gilmer
Overton
Gladewater
Pine Tree
Hallsville
Sabine
Henderson
Spring Hill
Kilgore
Spring Hill
Laneville
Union Grove
Tatum
Leverett’s Chapel
Longview
Union Grove
West Rusk
White Oak

Videos

Information Summary

Ranks 137th in Texas and 2508th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	56.9
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$16,054
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	15 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	58% / 42%
Enrollment Total (all students)	4,866

Academics

From accounting to zoology, Kilgore College offers a wide range of majors and concentrations. The school is particularly well known for strengths in Agricultural Farm & Ranch Management, Nursing, Forestry, and technical specialities including Computed Tomography, Corrosion Technology, Diesel Technology, Petroleum Technology, and Welding Technology. Transfer track programs include Business Administration, Education, Engineering & Math, Liberal Arts, Music & Fine Arts, Pre-Professional medical track programs, Sciences, and Social Behavioral Science. Kilgore is also known for their Fire Academy and Police Academy.

High School Academics

Dual Credit classes allow high school students to earn college credit at reduced prices. Successful completion of the dual credit program can lead to beginning college at the sophomore level. Students may take up to two college classes per semester of their junior and senior year of high school. The program is open to homeschooled students as well as public and private school enrollees. Many students enrolled in dual credit choose to take online classes to best suit their high school schedules, although they may also take classes on campus.

Most Popular Fields of Study

Unique Programs

The Energy Education Center offers a museum experience on site about the history and future of energy as well as multiple public education and awareness programs. The Energy Education Center works collaboratively with the Kilgore administration to develop new oil and gas degrees to meet evolving energy needs.

Admissions

In keeping with their mission to offer technical education and higher education opportunities to any adult who wishes to pursue them, Kilgore offers open admissions. Some health and technical programs may have further requirements, and some have limited registration, so be sure to inquire in the department of your choice prior to enrolling.

Financial Aid

In addition to the wide range of state and federal financial aid options available to college and university students in Texas, Kilgore offers several of their own need- and merit-based scholarships.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 5193rd for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Texas.

Students

Demographics

About 60% of the student body is female; the remaining 40% is male. The student body is roughly 50% European American, 30% African American, 9% Latino American, 3% international, and 2% multiethnic. 60% of students study full-time; 40% part-time. They are about evenly split between direct-entry career programs and transfer programs.

Living on Campus

Campus housing is available in four separate residential facilities: Nolen Hall, Stark Hall, The Quads, and Gussie Nell Davis Residence. Most rooms are doubles, although it is possible to reserve a private room for an additional fee. All students living in campus housing must also purchase a meal plan at the college cafeteria.

Clubs and Organizations

There are dozens of student organizations on the Kilgore campus to meet the personal and professional interests of a wide range of students. Groups include Baptist Student Ministries, Diversity Alliance, Latinos en Accion, Tennis Table Club, and Piano Ensemble. The Student Government Association is the voice of the student body in administrative and other public matters.

Student Services

The Student Services office offers a wide range of support services to assist students in academic success. These services include academic counselling, career counselling, employment placement services, personal counselling, testing services, and disability services.

Student Testing

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is an assessment testing program mandated by state law for any student entering a public college or university. Approved tests include the Quick THEA, Accuplacer, and Asset. Students for whom English is not a first language are also required to take the Compass Test and the Lindholm Test.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

The athletics teams at Kilgore College are known as the Rangers. The Rangers compete in the NJCAA Division I and Region XIV athletics. Men’s sports include football and basketball. Women’s sports include women’s basketball and Rangerettes. The school is particularly well-known for the Rangerettes, which was the first precision drill team ever to exist when it was first created in 1940. The Rangerettes have performed at US Presidential inaugurations, NFL playoff games, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They continue to be one of the premiere drill teams in the nation. The Kilgore football team has the strongest record of any NJCAA team in the state of Texas.

Additionally, Kilgore maintains a fitness center for student use. The fitness center offers a 25-meter lap pool, indoor walking/running track, weight training, cardiovascular equipment, aerobics classes, yoga, kick boxing, tennis courts, and basketball and volleyball courts. The fitness center also offers a supervised play area for children aged 6 months to 10 years while parents exercise.

Local Community

Kilgore is home to the annual Texas Shakespeare Festival, which has been offering several professional productions of the bard’s work for the past 30 years. The festival offers multiple opportunities for students to get involved on stage, behind the scenes, and in the box office.

Alumni

Well-known Kilgore College alumni include:

Comedian Rodney Carrington
Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court John Luke Hill
Pianist Van Cliburn
Professional football players Lyle Alzado, Francisco Elson, Ricardo Colclough, Demorrio Williams, and Marvin White

Bibliography

Festival History. Texas Shakespeare. Web. 18 Sept 2011.
Fiske, Edward B. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011. Chicago: Sourcebooks, 2010. Print.
Fitness Center. Kilgore College. Web. 18 Sept 2011.
Housing Info. Kilgore College. Web. 18 Sept 2011.
Organizations. Kilgore College. Web. 18 Sept 2011.
Pope, Loren. Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That’s Right for You. New York: Penguin. 2007. Print.
Student Fact Book. Kilgore College. Web. 18 Sept 2011.

Kilgore College