What are the best community colleges?
CUNY Stella & Charles Guttman Community College tops the list
Niche CEO Luke Skurman discusses the best-valued colleges in the United States for 2020 and how students are choosing their majors.
Enrolling in a community college is a savvy option for those looking to save a hefty penny, especially with the cost of traditional four-year universities on the rise.
Approximately, 54 percent of young adults who went to college took on some debt, including student loans, for their education, according to the Federal Reserve's latest report on the economic well-being of U.S. households from 2018 to May 2019.
Many students may use community colleges for the first two years of their college career before transitioning to a four-year institution. This allows students more time to select the university that is right for them while still receiving college credit and saving money.
Not only do these two-year institutions cost significantly less, but they are also within commuting distance of 90 percent of the U.S. population. That allows students to save money on housing, according to The Princeton Review.
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Niche, a raking and review site, formerly known as College Prowler, compiled a list of the top community colleges 2020. The ranking is formed from an analysis U.S. Department of Education data and reviews from current and former students.
Here are the top five according to Niche and their overall rating as determined by the company.
CUNY Stella & Charles Guttman Community College
The public college is situated within New York City borough of Manhattan. The school has more than 900 undergraduates enrolled and has a 100 percent acceptance rate. Students tend to major in liberal arts, humanities, business and human services.
The school has a graduation rate of about 72 percent.
University of South Carolina – Lancaster
Located in the Palmetto State, this small institution has 679 undergrads. The school’s admissions is considered more competitive with a 65 percent acceptance rate, according to Niche. Students tend to major in liberal arts, humanities, business, and criminal justice and law enforcement administration.
Thirty-five percent of graduates earn a starting salary of $38,000.
New Mexico Military Institute
The school is recognized as a secondary and post-secondary school for men and women. The college has about 419 undergrads and has a 42 percent acceptance rate. Popular majors include liberal arts and humanities.
Fox Valley Technical College
This Grand Chute, Wisc., school has 2,190 undergraduates and a 100 percent acceptance rate. While in school, students gravitate tend to study nursing, welding, and machine and metalworking. Nearly 60 percent of graduating students earn $32,200 as a starting salary.
University of South Carolina Sumter
This Columbia, S.C., school has about 1,100 undergrads. Students can pursue a two-year associate's degree, or bachelor's degrees in business through USC Aiken and USC Upstate.
The school's acceptance rate is about 69 percent, and many students favor majors such in liberal arts and humanities, according to Niche.