FILE – A wind turbine technician approaches a nacelle that houses the gearbox and generator of a wind turbine on the campus of Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico, on July 11, 2024. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Image
The cost of a college education in America can be astronomical due to tuition fees—and out of reach for many. Community colleges, on the other hand, can offer significant savings to students seeking a degree.
The new rankings, released Tuesday by WalletHub, identify the best community colleges in the U.S. It also ranks the best community college systems across the country by state.
The personal finance website said it identified the best and worst community colleges by analyzing several key metrics — with an emphasis on cost and quality — for a sample of 653 institutions.
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A state-by-state analysis calculated a weighted average of the scores achieved by community colleges in each state and the number of students enrolled at each school.
The state with the highest average took first place; according to WalletHub, that state is Maryland.
“Maryland has the best community colleges, with its top five schools all ranked among the top 45 community colleges nationwide,” WalletHub’s report said. “Maryland is also one of the states that currently offers a free community college education.”
The report named Montgomery College as Maryland’s best community college, with multiple locations in the region. WalletHub said the school ranks 10th among best community colleges nationwide due to high average graduate salaries, good student retention rates and the fact that it offers life experience credits.
“A good community college minimizes costs for students while providing an enriching learning experience that leads to high student retention and graduation rates,” said Cassendra Happe, analyst at Wallethub.
“The best colleges also support their students after graduation by offering them job placement services to help them find well-paying jobs,” Happe continued. “And finally, many of the best community colleges recognize that school is not the only place you learn, so they offer credit for life experiences.”
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Top 20 states with the best community college systems
After Maryland, New Mexico has the second-best community colleges, according to WalletHub. The state’s top five schools rank among the top 70 nationally. New Mexico also offers free community college to all residents.
Connecticut ranked third best for community colleges, with its top five schools all ranked among the top 55 community colleges in the country. Like Maryland and New Mexico, Connecticut offers many residents a free community college education, according to WalletHub. It also “prepares people well for higher education” by having the second-best public schools in the country, the report added.
Here are the 20 states with the best community college systems:
- Maryland
- New Mexico
- Connecticut
- Wyoming
- Oregon
- Hawaii
- Wisconsin
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Minnesota
- Kansas
- Washington
- Colorado
- Iowa
- Michigan
- new York
- California
- Tennessee
- Massachusetts
- West Virginia
The 20 best community colleges in the USA according to the report
Manhattan Area Technical College in Manhattan, Kansas, ranks first in America, according to WalletHub, largely because it “provides students with the foundation for good future earnings.”
Over 77% of former students earn more than the median income for people with only a high school diploma, the report says. Graduates also have a median salary of over $50,000, which is the fifth highest among the schools analyzed. Manhattan Area Technical College also offers job placement services to help students find jobs.
Another plus is that Manhattan Area Technical College has the lowest student loan default rate, the fifth-highest graduation rate, and the third-best freshman-sophomore retention rate, according to WalletHub.
In addition, Manhattan Area Technical College offers credits for certain life experiences, such as volunteer work or special training outside of school, the report says.
Here are the 20 best community college systems in the U.S., according to WalletHub:
- Manhattan Area Technical College
- Missouri State Technical College (MO)
- Pratt Community College (KS)
- Santa Fe Community College (NM)
- Southeast New Mexico College (NM)
- Irvine Valley College (California)
- Moraine Park Technical College (WI)
- CT State Community College Asnuntuck (CT)
- College of San Mateo (California)
- Montgomery College (MD)
- Clackamas Community College (OR)
- Moreno Valley College (California)
- De Anza College (California)
- Saddleback College (California)
- San Juan College (NM)
- Santa Rosa Junior College (CA)
- CT State Community College Naugatuck Valley (CT)
- Northland Community and Technical College (MN)
- CT State Community College Manchester (CT)
- Casper College (WY)
