Walla Walla Community College

Best Community Colleges: Walla Walla Community College (WA)

Walla Walla Community College (WWCC), a multi-campus community college, is located in southeastern Washington. Situated on 100 acres, the Walla Walla campus is an educational and cultural hub for the region. Walla Walla Community College’s Clarkston Center, located in Clarkston, Washington, broadens its facilities and programs throughout a four-county district. Walla Walla Community college is a center of learning in Garfield and Asotin counties. WWCC also maintains a facility at the Washington State Penitentiary.

With a current annual enrollment of over 13,000 new, returning and international students, Walla Walla Community College offers courses in Academic Transfer Education, Professional/Technical Education, Transitional Studies and Extended Learning.

Generally speaking, academic courses (100 level or higher) at WWCC are transferable to most four-year institutions. WWCC’s e-learning program enables students to get an Associate’s degree entirely online or through a combination of on online and on-campus courses.

The Running Start program offers high-school juniors and seniors an opportunity to enroll in courses at Walla Walla Community College.

In addition to traditional areas of study, Walla Walla CC is a base for technical and local community learning, hosting the Ag Center of Excellence, educational opportunities in agriculture; College Cellars of Walla Walla, educational opportunities in the field of Enology and Viticulture, including an operating winery; Learning Center for Non Profits, resources, training and education to current and prospective staff and board members of nonprofits; Water and Environmental Center, education for environmental and economic sustainability; and the Walla Walla Valley Early Learning Coalition, helping to improve the lives of children and families through early childhood experiences.

The Aspen Institute named Walla Walla Community College the 2013 co-winner of its prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The Aspen Institute also recognized the junior college as a 2011 Finalist with Distinction for the same prize.

Mayland Community College

Best Community Colleges: Mayland Community College (NC)

Mayland Community College, located in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, also operates the Avery Learning Center in Newland, North Carolina and the Yancey Learning Center in Burnsville, North Carolina. Mayland Community College is part of the North Carolina Community College System. The college has partnerships with area colleges and universities to provide transfer options to students. The school offers 35 programs. The junior college offers an Associate in Arts, an Associate in Fine Arts and an Associate in Science degree.

Besides providing classes for college credit, Mayland Community College provides classes for enrichment, skills development and personal enjoyment.

Mayland Community College has the following academic departments:

• Arts & Sciences (College Transfer)
• Basic Skills
• Business, Engineering & Public Service Technologies
• Health Sciences
• Applied Technology Programs

Mayland Community College ranked the #4 community college in the 2010 Washington Monthly ranking of America’s best community colleges.

Saint Paul College

Best Community Colleges: Saint Paul College (MN)

Saint Paul College a community and technical college, established in 1910 is located in St. Paul, Minnesota. The school has about 10,000 full-time and part-time students. Saint Paul College offers traditional classes, online classes and hybrid classes.

The college provides 39 associate degree programs as well as 60 career certificate and diploma programs.

Saint Paul College focuses on advanced technology to enhance the curriculum and the learning experience. The school also provides students free tutoring.

The Power of YOU scholarship programs provide free tuition to qualified students who graduate from St. Paul or Minneapolis public schools.

Student Life provides an array of social, wellness, educational and cultural events.

Saint Paul College has transfer agreements with four-year colleges and universities to provide pathways for students to transfer to continue their higher education.

Saint Paul College offers programs such as:

• Advanced manufacturing technology
• Computer graphics and programming
• Business
• Culinary arts
• American Sign Language interpreter and transliterator
• Health information technology
• Global trade
• Medical laboratory technology

Saint Paul College ranked the #1 community college in the 2010 Washington Monthly ranking of America’s best community colleges.

Santa Barbara City College

Best Community Colleges: Santa Barbara City College (CA)

The 104-year-old Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is located in Santa Barbara, California, on a campus surrounded by stunning ocean views. The junior college serves the south coast of Santa Barbara County.

The community college offers more than 50 certificate programs and 80 degrees, with an average class size of 28. SBCC has an enrollment of 20,000 students, of which 7,500+ are full-time.

57% of full-time students at SBCC transfer to four-year colleges; more than half of those ultimately earn a bachelor’s degree. Agreements with 76 colleges (in and out of California) guarantee that SBCC credits are accepted for transfer; several schools ensure admission if a student meets academic requirements. The college’s Transfer Achievement Program (TAP) helps students make informed decisions in their planning for the transition from SBCC to a four-year university.

SBCC’s Express-to-Success program uses small learning communities to assist students through first-year remedial courses to yield a significant rise in students’ course completion.

The college has a diverse student population and serves many traditionally underserved students, including an ever-increasing population of Hispanics. Hispanic students, who consist of 30+% of the student population, have achieved a notable three year-graduation/transfer rate of 48%.

Aspen Institute named Santa Barbara City College the 2013 co-winner of its prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The Aspen Institute also recognized the college as a 2011 Finalist for the same prize. Santa Barbara City College ranked #23 in the CNN Money listing of community colleges in 2012.

East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program & Technical Center

Best Community Colleges: East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program & Technical Center (CA)

East San Gabriel Valley ROP/TC, located in West Covina, California, is one of 72 regional occupational programs (ROPs) in the state of California.

An ROP focuses on practical, hands-on career preparation and career guidance and is designed to provide high school and adult students with the technical skills required for specific jobs. Most of the classes offer community-based internships, in local business and industry sites.

East San Gabriel Valley ROP/TC provides core majors of study such as: Business Management, Child development, Criminal Justice, Green Facilities Management, Health Science and Visual Communication. The Center partners with over 250 businesses and over 40 support service agencies to provide these unified educational experiences.

The center has articulation agreements with the following community colleges and private post-secondary institutions:

• Citrus College
• Rio Hondo College
• Mt. San Antonio College
• Mt. Sierra College
• Pacific Oaks
• Westwood College
• DeVry
• ITT Tech

These agreements allow students, who successfully completed selected courses, to enroll in training programs at the community college, without having to repeat previously covered materials.

The community college ranked #1 in the CNN Money listing of community colleges in 2012.

New Mexico Military Institute

Best Community Colleges: New Mexico Military Institute (NM)

New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI), located in Roswell, New Mexico, is the only state-supported, co-educational, military boarding school in the United States. NMMI offers a college preparatory, four-year high school and a two-year junior college.

One of only six military junior colleges in the U.S., New Mexico Military Institute’s organization and architecture is based on Virginia Military Institute. The campus encompasses 40 acres of land, including an 18-hole golf course.

Students at NMMI are referred to as “cadets” and the school averages 975 cadets, 95 percent of whom go on to four-year universities. At any time, cadets represent almost every state in the U.S. and a dozen foreign countries.

The Corps of Cadets at New Mexico Military Institute has its own chain of command, responsible to the Commandant of Cadets and his staff. All cadets live under an honor system and are expected to meet the highest values of personal integrity. The honor code states that no cadet will “Lie, Cheat or Steal or Tolerate Those Who Do.” Cadets are required to defend and enforce the honor system.

More than one-third of the college students are seeking an Army Commission. Annually, via a two-year Early Commissioning Program (ECP), the school commissions about 35 cadets as US Army 2nd Lieutenants.

New Mexico Military Institute offers an all-inclusive liberal arts curriculum. An Associate in Arts degree requires sixty-eight hours of coursework. A cadet may choose to concentrate in a particular area while pursuing an Associate of Arts degree.

Areas of concentration include:

• Humanities
• Math and science
• Social sciences/business
• Physical education/recreation

North Central Kansas Technical College

The community college ranked #2 in the CNN Money listing of community colleges in 2012.

Best Community Colleges: North Central Kansas Technical College (KS)

North Central Kansas Technical College (NCK Tech), a school of higher learning, offers degree, certificate and professional development education. NCK Tech’s main campus is located in Beloit, Kansas; the branch campus is located in Hays, Kansas.

North Central has an outstanding reputation for graduate placement, averaging over 90% annually. NCK Tech graduate salaries are consistently comparable to graduates of 2- and 4-year institutions.

The college offers 24 programs of study, including these major areas:

• Automotive Collision Technology
• Agricultural Equipment Technology
• Nursing
• Residential Electricity
• Diesel Technology

NCK Tech offers statewide articulation agreements in the following pathways:

• AV Communications
• Information Support/Services
• Network Systems
• Production – Welding
• Programming and Software Development
• Web/Digital Communications

The junior college has also developed The Kansas Institute of Underground Technology, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce and local businesses.

The community college ranked #5 in the CNN Money listing of community colleges in 2012 and listed among the top 10% of all U.S. community colleges by the Aspen Institute in 2013.

Valencia College

Best Community Colleges: Valencia College (FL)

Valencia College covers a broad region of mid-Florida, with campuses in east and west Orlando, Winter Park, Kissimmee, and Lake Nona.

The college offers 30 Transfer Plans, 12 pre-major options and an Associate degree that guarantees admission to any Florida state university.

The school offers more than 60 non-degree technical certificate programs. Valencia’s continuing education program includes courses in career development, criminal justice, healthcare professions, language programs and professional development.

The school had an enrollment of more than 70,000 students in 2012. Valencia College has a very diverse student population.

Valencia ranks first among the U.S.’s two-year colleges for the total associate’s degrees awarded. The school’s graduation rate is triple the average of comparable two-year institutions in the U.S. Valencia ranks second in the number of degrees awarded to Hispanics and it’s designated a “Hispanic Serving” institution with 27+ percent Hispanic students. The college ranks third in the number of associate degrees awarded to African Americans.

Valencia graduates boast a job placement rate of 93%–95%.

Director Steven Spielberg has called Valencia College’s film program one of the best anywhere. The college’s “Filmmaker in Residence” program invites talented producers, directors, writers and cinematographers to work with students on film projects.

Valencia was the winner of the 2011 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and ranked as the No. 1 community college in the United States, according to Community College Week’s 2011 listing of the top 100 schools.

The college has an honors program and is a member of The National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC).

Snow College

Best Community Colleges:  Snow College (UT)

Snow College, a two-year state college, is located in rural Ephraim, Utah, about 120 miles south of Salt Lake City. Snow College is a part of the Utah System of Higher Education. Two campuses—the main campus in Ephraim and another campus in Richfield, Utah—serve a six-county area in Utah.

Snow College boasts of having some of the lowest tuition rates of any accredited institution of higher education in Utah. Undergraduate enrollment averages 3000 yearly.

The college offers certificates and associate degrees in a number of areas. The major study divisions include:

• Business & Applied Technologies
• Humanities
• Fine Arts, Communication and New Media
• Natural science & Mathematics
• Social & Behavioral Science

The junior college also offers continuing education, online and honors classes.

Snow College is widely regarded for its athletics, music and arts programs. The Horne School of Music, an all-Steinway School, is one of only 23 2-year colleges accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music in the U.S. Snow College music graduates have played in some of the finest colleges and musical groups in the world.

Snow College hosts some of the finest U.S. music camps, such as the Juilliard Jazz Summer Workshop and the Manhattan to the Mountains Chamber Workshop.

The National Association of Schools of Theatre has awarded Snow’s theatre arts department full accreditation and membership, an honor only bestowed to three other 2-year colleges.

Snow College’s athletic teams, known as Badgers, are consistently highly ranked regionally and nationally.

The college’s art program is highly recommended and is known to other colleges throughout the US.

Some of its students have gone on to colleges including Cornwall, University of Utah, New York Art Academy and other institutions.

The Ephraim campus is home to the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts (concert hall and theatre), Activity Center and art gallery; the Richfield campus houses the Sevier Valley Center, an indoor arena and theater. The surrounding community uses the facilities on both campuses.

Snow College is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC).

Snow College ranked #6 in the CNN Money listing of community colleges in 2012 and listed among the top 10% U.S. community colleges by the Aspen Institute in 2013.

Lake Area Technical Institute

Best Community Colleges:  Lake Area Technical Institute (SD)

Lake Area Technical Institute (LATI), a technical school located in Watertown, South Dakota, is the first technical school established in South Dakota. The campus serves an 18,000 square mile area.

Lake Area Tech has 29 study programs and 11 E-degrees. The junior college serves more than 1,700 full-time, part-time and online students. The school boasts low tuition cost and a 99% graduate placement rate.

A sampling of the school’s programs: Agri-Business, Custom Paint & Fabrication Cosmetology, Robotics, Aviation Maintenance, and Nursing.

Lake Area Technical Institute leads the nation in graduation rates and t helps its graduates secure jobs at strong salaries.

76 percent of first-time, full-time LATI students graduate or transfer to a four-year college within three years; the national average is 40 percent.

LATI graduates recently averaged 40 percent in earnings than other new hires in the area.

Through program-to-program articulation agreements, LATI graduates from a specific program may transfer LATI technical credits to a specific degree plan at South Dakota State University. Selected general education classes and technical credits may be used.

Aspen Institute named Lake Area CC a 2013 Finalist with Distinction in its prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The Aspen Institute also recognized the college as a 2011 Finalist with Distinction for the same prize. The college ranked #11 in the CNN Money listing of community colleges in 2012.

The 20 Best Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Early Childhood Education

The 20 Best Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Early Childhood Education

Working with children is one of the most challenging yet rewarding jobs out there and an online bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education will provide you with a number of great opportunities. As more and more importance is placed on quality education during the younger years, there is

an increased demand for professionals with a true understanding of what young children really need in order to give them the best foundation for the future. An online degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) can help you to develop the skills that will allow you to fulfill one of the most satisfying and influential roles in a child’s life.

There are a great number of choices when it comes to studying for an online degree in Early Childhood Education and many factors you will need to consider when making your choice. Some people may be looking for the cheapest options, while the priority of others may be the opportunity to specialize in a certain area of childhood education. The criteria used in order to determine the following rankings of the 20 best providers of this particular online degree can be divided into three main categories: academic excellence, return on investment, and incidental benefit.

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