A college's ethnic diversity is indicated by the student body's equal inclusion of students from different backgrounds . Students at SOWELA are primarily White with a sizeable Black population. The school has medium racial diversity. 36% percent of students are minorities or people of color (BIPOC). The ethnic breakdown is detailed in the following table.
| Race | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| White |
64%
|
| Black |
26%
|
| Hispanic |
2%
|
| Asian |
1%
|
| American Indian / Alaskan |
1%
|
| Hawaiian / Pacific Islander |
0%
|
| Two or more races |
3%
|
| International |
0%
|
| Race Unknown |
4%
|
There are 13% more female students than male students enrolled at Sowela Technical Community College with a gender ratio of 53% women to 47% men. Compared to the US average of 56% female students, SOWELA has a comparable gender diversity ratio to other US colleges and is inclusive of both genders.
| Gender | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| Men |
47%
|
| Women |
53%
|
| Gender | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Men |
1,532
|
| Women |
1,736
|
SOWELA serves a very low number of students outside of Louisiana, with 98 percent of the student body residing in-state.
| Origin | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| In State |
98%
|
| Out of State |
1%
|
| Foreign |
1%
|
| Unknown Location |
0%
|
52% of students can be considered low-income as indicated by their receipt of Federal Pell Grant Aid.
| Segment | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| Students Over 25 Years Old | 23.8% |
| Part time Undergrads | 35.2% |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=160579 IPEDS survey data for Sowela Technical Community College.