Otero College
Otero College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Otero College Featured Rankings
About Otero College
According to Wikipedia, Otero College is a public community college in La Junta, Colorado. History Otero College was established in 1941 and was named La Junta Junior College. Which was operated by the school district. In 1949, an election was held to consider proposal that the college become an independent unit supported by the county instead. It was approved and the college was renamed as Otero County Junior College. The College changed its name again, to Otero Junior College in 1956. On February 20, 1968, the Otero County Junior College District voted in favor of Otero Junior College joining the state system. The college officially became a state two-year college on July 1, 1968. On May 18, 2021, Colorado's governor signed a law officially changing the college's name from Otero Junior College to Otero College.
Otero College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| 44% | 43% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Otero College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $4,745 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $3,528 |
| 30K - 48K | $4,786 |
| 48K - 75K | $4,990 |
| 75K - 110K | $8,520 |
| 110K+ | $3,699 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Otero College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Otero College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $42,694 a year, and 84% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Otero College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 1,228 | 1,228 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Otero College?
Otero College is located at 1802 Colorado Avenue, La Junta, CO 81050.
How Safe is Otero College?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Otero College publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Otero College has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of 0.10%. La Junta has a violent crime rate of 0.50% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 7.02%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Otero College Known For?
Otero College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Criminal Justice
- Physics
- Biology
- Earth Sciences
- Anthropology
- Medical
- Business
- History
- Mathematics
- Education
Otero College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Otero College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Otero College ranks #929 in the U.S. and #2373 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesOtero College ranks #1096 in the U.S. and #2087 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesOtero College ranks #1583 in the U.S. and #5887 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesOtero College ranks #1701 in the U.S. and #6919 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesOtero College ranks #2144 in the U.S. and #7431 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesOtero College ranks #2355 in the U.S. and #6377 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesOtero College ranks #2662 in the U.S. and #9475 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesOtero College ranks #2691 in the U.S. and #9599 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesOtero College ranks #2900 in the U.S. and #9742 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesOtero College ranks #3020 in the U.S. and #10213 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesOtero College ranks #3664 in the U.S. and #13650 worldwide for influence in Education.
education Degrees
