Connecticut Has Best Community College System in U.S.

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Connecticut’s community college system, was ranked No. 1 in the nation by WalletHub this week, and several of the community colleges ranked among the top 15 in the country in the financial website’s reports on community colleges and state-by-state community college system rankings.

Of the 677 colleges on the list, four Connecticut community colleges ranked in the top 15 nationally:

• Naugatuck Valley Community College (10th Place)
• Northwestern Connecticut Community College (11th Place)
• Manchester Community College (12th Place)
• Capital Community College (15th Place)

The state ranking of colleges is based on an analysis of a WalletHub “2022’s Best & Worst Community Colleges” report released this week at a time of rising inflation and individuals looking for ways to stretch their budgets while increasing educational and career opportunities. More information on the “2022’s Best and Worst Community College Systems” ranking is available here.

To determine where students can receive the best education at the lowest tuition rates, the website compared 677 community colleges nationwide across 19 key indicators of cost and quality. The data set ranges from the cost of in-state tuition and fees to student-faculty ratio and graduation rate. For the state-by-state analysis, WalletHub calculated a weighted average of the scores earned by the community colleges in each state and the number of students enrolled at each college.

Credit registration for the fall 2022 semester is in progress at the 12 Connecticut community colleges, with hundreds of degree options that prepare students for transfer to four-year degrees and transition into the workforce with programs in health care, manufacturing, information technology, early childhood education, business, and more. Most of the colleges also offer English as a second language certificates for non-English speakers looking to start on their path to an associate degree. A variety of class formats are available including on-ground, online and hybrid.

There is still time to apply and register for Connecticut’s free community college program, PACT. Prospective students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, apply and register for classes. The FAFSA can be submitted online at www.fafsa.gov. For more eligibility information and details on PACT, visit ct.edu/pact.

The 12 community colleges in Connecticut are merging in 2023 to become CT State Community College, one of the largest community colleges in the country and largest in New England, dedicated to quality, access and affordability. CT State students will be able to apply once and take classes at any campus. Locations include Asnuntuck (Enfield), Capital (Hartford), Gateway (New Haven and North Haven), Housatonic (Bridgeport), Manchester, Middlesex (Middletown and Meriden), Naugatuck Valley (Waterbury and Danbury), Northwestern (Winsted), Norwalk, Quinebaug Valley (Danielson and Willimantic), Three Rivers (Norwich), and Tunxis (Farmington).