NCCC ranked among America’s best community colleges

The good news continues to roll in for two local colleges.

Last week, Paul Smith’s College announced that it’s anticipating one of its largest classes in three decades. This week, officials at North Country Community College say the school has been included on a list of America’s 50 Best Community Colleges.

Washington Monthly magazine has NCCC ranked 22nd on its list for 2010. The rankings surveyed 650 community colleges across the nation, and NCCC received the highest ranking of any community college in New York.

The list is compiled using benchmarking data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement and four-year federal graduation rates.

Ranking categories include learning, student effort, academic challenge, student-faculty interaction, support for learning, and four-year graduation ranks.

NCCC consistently ranked over 50 percent in every category.

“The schools on the list stand out in teaching and helping students earn degrees,” the Washington Monthly states. “When it comes to quality of instruction they outperform not only their two-year peers but also many elite four-year research universities.”