On Monday, Washington Monthly released its annual rankings of the best community colleges across America and five schools in the Sunshine State placed in the top 50 with one of them almost heading the class.
In compiling the rankings, Washington Monthly uses student engagement surveys and information from the federal Department of Education.The rankings incorporate graduation and retention rates, faculty interaction and student support.
We designed the Washington Monthly college rankings to embody the American higher education compact at the institutional level, the editors of Washington Monthly noted. Instead of lauding colleges for closing their doors to all but an elite few, we give high marks to institutions that enroll low-income students, help them graduate and dont charge them an arm and a leg to attend.
One school in the Florida College System (FCS) ranked near the top of the list. North Florida Community College (NFCC) placed second in the nation, trailing only Saint Paul College in Minnesota.
North Florida Community College is honored to be among the top community colleges in the nation, said NFCC President John Grosskopf on Monday. Our strong commitment to educating students from all walks of life is reflected in these rankings. I could not be more proud of our college and its dedicated faculty and staff.
Four other colleges in the FCS were included in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. Chipola College placed 14th on the list. Miami Dade College came in the list at 28th. Valencia College ranked 36th and South Florida State College placed 50th.
Randy Hanna, the chancellor of the FCS, said the rankings reflect well on the individual campuses and the FCS as a whole.
This honor recognizes the Florida College Systems commitment to both access and high-quality education, Hanna said. I commend our colleges for their ongoing efforts to serve the needs of our state.
Hanna insisted the rankings are proof that community colleges across Florida are making students more competitive as they enter the job market.
These rankings are especially important because they highlight the systems mission of providing access to low-cost, high-quality education and job training, said Hanna. I am extremely proud of all of our colleges for helping prepare Floridians for high-skill, high-wage jobs.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
