With the rising cost of education and student loan debt community college can be a great, affordable option. Whether you want to begin college at a two-year school and then transfer to a four-year institution or obtain an associate’s degree and begin your career it can open many doors. And it is a significantly cheaper option than most public and private 4-year schools. And if you’re in North Carolina it’s an even better option as we have some of the best community colleges in the country.
Knowing the benefits of community college, SmartAsset set out to find the best community colleges in the country. They looked at data in regards to 801 schools across the following three metrics: student-to-faculty ratio, graduation and transfer rate, and the cost of tuition and fees. This is the 9th time they have conducted the study. And the data speaks for itself. The top 10 consists entirely of schools in North Carolina or Wisconsin. But North Carolina is the clear-cut winner with 7 of the top 10 community colleges in our state. Additionally, more than half of the top 25 are in North Carolina. Now that is something to be proud of!
This is due to some fantastic graduation and transfer rates- as high as 79%! Our community colleges also have a lower cost with most of the tuition in the $2,000 range.
View the top 10 below and read the full study by SmartAsset here
