Washington County Community College

Best Community Colleges: Washington County Community College (ME)

Washington County Community College (WCCC) is located in Calais, Washington County, Maine, overlooking the St. Croix River; it’s in a rural area on the border between the United and Canada. WCCC is one of seven colleges in the Maine Community College System. Washington County Community College has a general enrollment of 500 students.

WCCC is a residential college with 24 study programs – from Adventure Creation and Tourism to Geographic Information Systems, from Building Construction Technology to Human Services.

The college provides Associate of Arts (A.A.) degrees, Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees, Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees as well as diplomas and certificates.

Washington County Community College also offers courses in business/job training, personal enrichment, community service, for high school students and online learning.

Associate’s degree credits may be transferred to a four-year university and count towards completion of the first two years of their bachelor’s degree. MaineStreet is a listing of transferrable courses that fall within the articulation agreements with colleges within the Maine College System.

Washington County Community College ranked #11 in the 2010 Washington Monthly ranking of the top 100 U. S. community colleges. College Atlas.org named WCCC one of the top 25 community colleges in 2012. The Aspen Institute listed Washington County Community College among the top 10% of community colleges in 2011 and 2013.

Northland Community & Technical College

Best Community Colleges: Northland Community & Technical College (MN)

Northland Community & Technical College, established in 1949, has four campuses: East Grand Forks Campus, Thief River Falls Campus, Aerospace Campus and Roseau Satellite Campus. The school is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

The school offers a liberal arts program for students interested in obtaining a bachelor’s degree at a four-year school. Northland Community & Technical College also provides a wide array of technical programs. The college provides over 100 career programs and degree options.

Northland Community & Technical College offers online programs in the areas of Business and Entrepreneurship; Health and Human Services; Law, Public Safety and Security; Liberal Arts/Sciences; and Science and Technology.

Northland Community and Technical College provides Associate in Applied Science degrees, Associate in Science degrees, Associate in Art degrees as well as diplomas and certificates. The school also provides a wide array of customized training to help prepare students for their selected career field.

Northland Community & Technical College’s largest programs include practical nursing; liberal arts; sales, marketing and management; aviation maintenance technology; associate degree mobility nursing; criminal justice and law enforcement.

Northland Community & Technical College provides a wide array of clubs, activities and cultural events.

The Aspen Institute listed Northland Community & Technical College among the top 10% of all U.S. community colleges in 2013.

Coastal Carolina Community College

Best Community Colleges: Coastal Carolina Community College (NC)

Coastal Carolina Community College, a two-year institution, is located in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Coastal Carolina Community College is one of the 58 public community colleges in North Carolina and serves Onslow County, which hosts two of the most strategic bases of the US Marine Corps.

Coastal students consistently meet or exceed all of the annual performance measures in the North Carolina Community College System more often than any other college.

Coastal Carolina Community College offers associate degrees in the arts (A.A.), science (A.S.), and fine arts (A.F.A.) for students seeking to transfer to a four-year college or university.

AFA programs of study include Drama, Music and Music Education, and Art.

A.S. programs include Biology Education, Biology and Engineering.

Examples of A.A. programs are Art Education; Economics, Finance and Marketing; Communication/Communication Studies; Elementary Education; English Education; Geography; Information Systems; Middle Grades Education; Physical Education; Political Science; Social Science Secondary Education; and Sociology.

Coastal Carolina Community College’s 64/65 credits of coursework are designed to parallel freshman and sophomore years at four-year colleges and universities.

Coastal and University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) have an articulation agreement guaranteeing Coastal Carolina Community College’s two-year degree graduates who maintain at least a “B” average begin as juniors at UNCW. Additionally, Coastal, UNCW, Onslow County Schools, and Marine Corps Base Camp LeJeune have developed a partnership to offer “2+2” teacher training for elementary education.

Forty to fifty percent of Coastal Carolina Community College students are active duty military and their family members. The college offers eight-week semester courses on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and on Marine Corps Air Station New River to accommodate the military work schedule.

The school’s Division of Continuing Education serves more military personnel than any of the other fifty-seven community colleges in the state. The school’s Customized Training Program provides education and training opportunities for local businesses and industries. Coastal Carolina Community College’s Continuing Education Program focuses on licensure & certification courses for a wide variety of professional and technical careers.

The community college is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). Coastal Carolina Community College ranked #46 in the CNN Money listing of community colleges in 2012

Normandale Community College

Best Community Colleges: Normandale Community College (MN)

Normandale Community College, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, serves the communities of the southwestern portion of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region and it’s a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system.

Normandale Community College has an annual enrollment of 10,000 students and the student population is very diverse – 30% and growing. Some of the programs of study offered include dental hygiene, nursing, hospitality management, dietetics, and engineering foundations.

Normandale confers various certificates for 9-30 credits as well as multiple two-year degrees: Associate of Arts (AA), Associate in Fine Arts (AFA), Associate in Science (AS), and Associate in Applied Science (AAS).

Examples of degree programs of study include Dental Hygiene, Hospitality, Creative Writing, Special Education, Theatre, Anthropology and World Languages.

In collaboration with Education for Global Learning (EGL), Normandale Community College also has a short-term and semester Study Abroad program.

The Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MNTC) is a series of 40 course credits transferable to all secondary education institutions in Minnesota. Further, Minnesota Transfer has established articulation agreements with many non-Minnesota colleges and institutions.

The campus features a two-acre Japanese Garden, the Academic Partnership Center and the Fine Arts building. Annually, the college presents various student recitals, band and choral concerts, art exhibits and other public events.

Normandale’s Continuing Education program offers a full set of courses for professional enrichment e.g. New World of Work, Microsoft Office 2010 and personal learning, Foreign Languages, Feng Shui & Sound Therapy. Additionally, Normandale offers organizational training e.g. Agile, ScrumMaster, and Six Sigma training and it also develops specialized courses customized for local business and presented at the college, at the business location or online.

Normandale ranked #48 in the CNN Money listing of community colleges in 2012.

Michigan Schoolcraft College

Best Community Colleges: Schoolcraft College (MI)

Schoolcraft College, located in Livonia, Michigan, has a satellite campus in Garden City, Michigan. Schoolcraft College celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011.

Enrollment annually averages 30,000 students. The college awards certificates, associate degrees and post-associate certificates.

Examples of degree-oriented academic programs include Liberal Arts, Health, Fine Arts, Anthropology and Education.

Examples of certificate programs include Fire Technology, Baking & Pastry Arts, Computer Graphics- 3D Animation, and Sound Recording Technology.

Schoolcraft College, well known for its culinary arts program, is headed by four certified master chefs. It has the highest chef/student ratio of any culinary program in the U.S. The college operates three dining venues as part of its culinary arts program.

The Transition Center supports students and is home to the Women’s Resource Center, Adult Student Services, Family Resources and Student Engagement Programs.

The Biomedical Technology Center focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and genetics, robotics, information systems and nanotechnology (GRIN).

The 11,000 sq. ft. Schoolcraft Fitness Center, with its state-of-the-art strength, cardio, free weight and stretch equipment is free to credit students and available for membership for non-credit students, faculty, community members and alumni.

The college’s Public Safety Training Complex, opened in 2010, houses its public safety programs such as Criminal Justice, Fire Technology, Correctional Science, Homeland Security, Police/Fire/Academies and Public Safety in-Service.

Schoolcraft College has a strong student activity presence. The MacGuffin, is a national literary magazine published from Schoolcraft College and The Schoolcraft Connection, the school’s award winning student newspaper continues to garner journalistic praise.

In 2009, the Women’s Basketball team won their second NJCAA Region 12 District H Title.

To serve local families, the school’s “Kids on Campus” program offers classes for children over the weekends during the fall, winter, and spring semesters.

To serve local businesses and industry, the college’s Business Development Center includes the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center (MI-SBTDC), the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), and Workforce Training Solutions.

The college is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC).

Schoolcraft College ranked #49 in the CNN Money listing of community colleges in 2012.

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Based on their proven levels of excellence, all of these community colleges have earned the privilege of your consideration.

Still not sure which one to pick? Here are five tips for choosing the best community college for you:

1. Does the community college have an honors program? What are the academic requirements? Would you qualify? Getting accepted into the honors programs at a community college will afford you additional opportunities and increase your chances for successful graduation and transfer.

2. Do you plan to transfer to a four-year college or university? If so, call a few of the places you hope to attend and find out how they perceive the community colleges on your list and which colleges accept the most transfers from those community colleges. Ask about any guaranteed transfers and “articulation agreements” that may be in place.

3. Inquire about the specific academic program you are interested in and compare the completion rates of that program to the overall rates of the college. If there is a notable gap between the two rates, ask why.

4. For optimal learning, do you prefer a small campus with special counseling/coaching or a larger campus with an expansive array of course options and educational opportunities? If needed, ask about remedial courses and other support resources. Compare the colleges on your short list to your personal needs.

5. Research and compare the stats on the schools you are most interested in: the college’s graduation rate,
transfer rate, “success” rankings based on various surveys.