2020’s Best & Worst Community Colleges

from Wallet Hub Aug 17, 2020

Cost is often a major consideration when choosing a college. And with tuition rates continuing to rise every year — not to mention all the other expenses related to attendance — many would-be students are unable to afford a university education. That’s even more of a concern during the COVID-19 pandemic this year as many people struggle financially. In addition, students who can afford to attend may not even be able to have in-person education and might have to take classes online. That said, there are still plenty of reasons why pursing a community college education is attractive this year.

Community colleges offer students the ability to get higher education without having as much financial strain. During the 2019 to 2020 academic year, tuition and fees for full-time, in-state enrollment at a public two-year college averaged $3,730 per year versus $10,440 at a public four-year institution and $36,880 at a four-year private school. Students who earn their general-education credits at a community college before transferring to an in-state public four-year university can potentially save a lot of money.

Other than serving as an affordable, and in some cases free, option for education, community colleges have a number of attractive qualities. They often provide more flexible schedules, smaller class sizes and rigorous coursework. Some even go beyond two-year programs to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees. These qualities advantages appeal especially to students who need to balance their studies with other commitments, such as family and work.

Individual community colleges, however, vary in quality and affordability. To determine where students can receive the best education at the lowest price, WalletHub compared more than 650 community colleges across 18 key indicators of cost and quality. Their data set ranges from the cost of in-state tuition and fees to student-faculty ratio to graduation rate….

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Related: 2020’s States with the Best & Worst Community-College Systems