The 25 Best Community Colleges in the U.S.
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One of the best ways to save money on your college education is to start at a community college. These colleges often charge less, and can provide you with a way to finish an associate’s degree or get your general education credits done before finishing a four-year degree at a bigger school.
If you’re looking for a great community college, Niche has ranked top schools in the United States. Niche looked at factors like academics, professors, cost, earnings after finishing, student life, and more. For those looking for a good experience and a good value, here are the 25 best community colleges in the U.S.
25. Eastern Maine Community College
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Location: Bangor, Maine
Overall Niche grade: B
Acceptance rate: 66 percent
Net yearly price: $10,660
Average starting salary: $28,600
The details:Eastern Maine Community College features non-traditional classes, including evening classes. Some of the popular majors include liberal arts and humanities, medical office assistant and welding.
24. Marion Military Institute
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Location: Marion, Alabama
Overall Niche grade: B
Acceptance rate: 56 percent
Net yearly price: $11,999
Average starting salary: $33,100
The details: While there aren’t any evening classes, this school offers a good student to faculty ratio of 16:1 and the professors are rated A-. The location provides you with a small-town feel while you work on your schooling.
23. Lakeshore Technical College
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Location: Cleveland, Wisconsin
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $9,393
Average starting salary: $30,800
The details: If you’re looking for a practical course of action, this school can provide you with skills for the future. The top majors at this school include nursing assistance, licensed practical nurse training and welding.
22. Chippewa Valley Technical College
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Location: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $9,808
Average starting salary: $31,900
The details:This school accepts everyone who applies. There’s a low student to faculty ratio of 13:1. The top majors at this school are nursing assistant, emergency medical technician and nursing.
21. Northland Community & Technical College
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Location: Thief River Falls, Minnesota
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $10,263
Average starting salary: $32,100
The details: This is a small community college, and 57 percent of those attending qualify for Pell Grants. The most popular majors at Northland are agricultural business, licensed practical nurse training and liberal arts and humanities.
20. Lake Superior College
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Location: Duluth, Minnesota
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $11,470
Average starting salary: $31,700
The details:This school is highly rated in the areas of student life, location and safety. Everyone who applies is accepted. Additionally, the top majors include nursing assistant, liberal arts and humanities, and nursing.
19. Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute
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Location: Wooster, Ohio
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $17,341
Average starting salary: $37,900
The details: This school is a branch of The Ohio State University. A lot of the popular majors have to do with agriculture. The top majors are animal sciences and husbandry, agricultural business, and crop and soil sciences.
18. Moore Norman Technology Center
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Location: Norman, Oklahoma
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 68 percent
Net yearly price: $5,929
Average starting salary: $27,600
The details: This is a very small school — only 168 undergraduate students. The low cost makes it a good deal. Some of the top majors at the school include licensed practical nurse training, cosmetology and electrician.
17. CUNY Hostos Community College
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Location: The Bronx, New York City
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $6,334
Average starting salary: $24,600
The details: It’s part of the City of New York college system, and many of the popular degrees pursued at this college are those that require further education, including liberal arts and humanities, teaching assistant and, criminal justice and law enforcement administration.
16. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
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Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $10,206
Average starting salary: $31,000
The details:This technical college gets high marks for professors, safety and student life. There is a relatively low student to faculty ratio of 16:1. Top majors include nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse training and nursing.
15. East Mississippi Community College
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Location: Scooba, Mississippi
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $5,805
Average starting salary: $21,200
The details:This school is a branch of Mississippi Community Colleges. While the price is pretty low, this school’s alumni also have a relatively low starting salary. The top majors include liberal arts and humanities,health service preparatory studies and business.
14. Piedmont Virginia Community College
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Location: Piedmont, Virginia
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $7,428
Average starting salary: $26,700
The details: This school ranks well for diversity, student life and safety. You’re likely to have a good experience if you attend this school. The top majors pursued at Piedmont include liberal arts and humanities, health professions and nursing.
13. Manchester Community College
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Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $14,117
Average starting salary: $32,200
The details: With a very low student to faculty ratio of 11:1, you’re likely to get plenty of personal attention when you attend this school. Safety and student life are the areas that Manchester Community College ranks well on. The top majors at the school include HVAC and refrigeration engineering technician, nursing, and liberal arts and humanities.
12. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
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Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 89 percent
Net yearly price: $5,339
Average starting salary: $34,100
The details:This school represents a great value for the money, since it has such a low annual cost, but the starting salary earned by alumni is respectable. The top majors come with an emphasis on trade, including machine and metal working, electronics equipment installation, and HVAC and refrigeration engineering technician.
11. State Technical College of Missouri
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Location: Crawford Township, Missouri
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $8,071
Average starting salary: $36,200
The details:This community college gets high marks for value, safety and student life. With a pretty high starting salary for a community college, the school has an emphasis on the skilled trades. Top majors include automotive mechanic, construction and heavy equipment operation and electrical engineering technician. This school also has a high graduation rate of 72 percent.
10. North Dakota State College of Science
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Location: Wahpeton, North Dakota
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $10,075
Average starting salary: $37,100
The details: At this school you’re likely to receive personal attention, with a student to faculty ratio of 13:1. This school ranks well for student life, and even though the starting salary is reasonably high, the value is rated a B+. Top majors are liberal arts and humanities, diesel mechanics and welding.
9. Harper College
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Location: Palatine, Illinois
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $6,616
Average starting salary: $31,000
The details:This school is well-rated for diversity, student life and safety. You’re likely to find students majoring in liberal arts and humanities, nursing assistant and business. With some of these majors, students are likely to go on to finish four-year degrees.
8. Johnson County Community College
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Location: Overland Park, Kansas
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $12,114
Average starting salary: $29,900
The details: While the value isn’t as highly rated with this school, there are other things that make this school the best community college in Kansas. The school has high ratings for diversity, location, student life and safety. Top majors include liberal arts and humanities, nursing assistant and ground transportation.
7. O.C. Collins Career Center
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Location: Union Township, Ohio
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $7,753
Average starting salary: $29,600
The details:This career-focused school graduates 85 percent of its students. The top majors are all focused on health professions, including licensed practical nurse training, adult health nursing and surgical technologist.
6. Northwest Vista College
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Location: San Antonio, Texas
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $7,269
Average starting salary: $28,900
The details: This is another school where the value might not be as high, but the high ratings in diversity, student life, location and safety might make up for it. The school is ranked by Niche as the best community college in Texas. The most popular majors at Northwest Vista including liberal arts and humanities, business and nursing.
5. University of South Carolina — Sumter
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Location: Sumter, South Carolina
Overall Niche grade: B+
Acceptance rate: 69 percent
Net yearly price: $8,318
Average starting salary: $34,300
The details: This community college is a branch of the University of South Carolina. This is one of the few schools on the list belonging to an athletic conference, and is NJCAA Division I. Admission is somewhat competitive, however, with an acceptance rate of less than 70 percent.
4. Lake Area Technical Institute
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Location: Watertown, South Dakota
Overall Niche grade: A-
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $11,536
Average starting salary: $34,100
The details:This school is rated very highly in student life and safety, as well as having a high rating in value. Top majors are agricultural business, diesel mechanics and licensed practical nurse training.
3. Fox Valley Technical College
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Location: Appleton, Wisconsin
Overall Niche grade: A-
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Net yearly price: $10,918
Average starting salary: $32,200
The details: This technical college is the top-ranked community college in Wisconsin. Class sizes are small, with a student to faculty ratio of 12:1. Top majors focus on trades and include nursing assistant, welding, and truck, bus and commercial vehicle operation.
2. University of South Carolina — Lancaster
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Location: Lancaster, South Carolina
Overall Niche grade: A-
Acceptance rate: 65 percent
Net yearly price: $8,846
Average starting salary: $38,000
The details: Another branch of the University of South Carolina, this school is relatively competitive in terms of acceptance. Additionally, the relatively high salary makes this a reasonable value. Top majors include liberal arts and humanities, business, and criminal justice and law enforcement administration.
1. New Mexico Military Institute
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Location: Roswell, New Mexico
Overall Niche grade: A
Acceptance rate: 42 percent
Net yearly price: $4,218
Average starting salary: $39,700
The details: The top community college in the country combines education with military tradition. The school is part of the NJCAA Division I athletics and is selective, with a fairly low acceptance rate. The top major is liberal arts and humanities.