President Barack Obama recently announced a plan to develop a college ratings system to help students make informed decisions about where they can get the best college education deal. Coincidentally, Bankrate undertook the task of ranking two-year community colleges and technical centers around the country to see where students can get the best, affordable start in their college careers.



Community colleges serve nearly half of all U.S. undergraduate students and play a crucial role in both workforce development and as a springboard to a four-year education. But few are recognized for just how far they go to serve students.



Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, we ranked more than 900 public two-year institutions to determine the best and brightest schools. Our rankings were based on six criteria: graduation rate; student retention rate; the student-faculty ratio; the school's in-state tuition and fees; the percentage of full-time first-time undergraduates receiving financial aid; and the average amount of grant aid they received from federal, state and private sources combined. The data cover full-time freshman students who entered college in fall 2008.



Our survey did not include private institutions, schools that did not report information on all six criteria to the National Center for Education Statistics or schools with fewer than 100 full-time students.



Following are the top 10 community colleges in the country based on Bankrate's criteria.



10. Colby Community College



Sliding into No. 10 on our list, Colby Community College in Colby, Kan., wins our accolade as one of the top community colleges because of its 10-1 student-faculty ratio, low in-state tuition of $1,824 per year ($2,944 with fees), and the fact that 97 percent of full-time first-time students receive some grant or scholarship aid. In addition to getting a cost break, students also receive direct attention from their instructors. Besides maintaining a low student-faculty ratio, Colby makes an effort to accommodate students who may not be able to make it to the main campus by offering courses through 24 locations spread throughout 14 surrounding counties.



While Colby offers programs of study ranging from broadcasting to massage therapy to solar photovoltaic studies, the broad array of agriculture programs really make this institution shine. Colby's 60-acre agricultural center acts as a living laboratory, provides students with real-world farming experience and offers the perfect place for the school's agrocentric programs, including agronomy, farm and ranch management, and agriculture economics.



The school also maintains strong programs for students who want to work with four-legged friends, including programs in equine science, animal science, and a robust veterinary technology program that can be completed on campus or online.



9. Mayland Community College



A 9-1 student-faculty ratio, low tuition and high retention rate landed Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine, N.C., a spot on our list of top community colleges, but the school also gets high marks for its emphasis on teaching soft skills in addition to providing technical and academic education.



"(We treat education) like a job. At a job, you just don't say, 'Well I don't feel like going today' or 'I'm going to be late,'" says Mayland President John Boyd, adding that the school maintains attendance and tardiness policies. "Students need to understand that there's no less expectation of their behavior at school as there would be in the workforce."



With more than 10,000 credit and noncredit students, the school is robust enough to support 27 academic and technical programs spread across the main Spruce Pine campus and two satellite learning centers. Nursing, electronics engineering, cosmetology, welding and horticulture are the most popular programs, says Boyd. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the average Mayland student receives more than $4,600 in federal, state, local and institutional grant aid.



8. Charlotte Technical Center



While some four-year institutions struggle to offer students any financial aid, the average student at Charlotte Technical Center in Port Charlotte, Fla., receives nearly $1,000 more in scholarship or grant aid per year than the cost of tuition. The school boasts one faculty member for every seven students and prides itself on offering real-world experiences to supplement in-class learning.



Charlotte Tech's carpentry program, for example, partners with Habitat for Humanity to give students the opportunity to work on construction projects. The dental assisting program works in tandem with the American Dental Association to open a pop-up dental facility that provides services for more than 200 neighborhood children every February, and the school's culinary program serves an all-you-can-eat community meal to approximately 300 area residents every Thursday throughout the school year.



"We work very hard in getting our students intern experiences or even jobs while they're going to school," says Charlotte Technical Center Director Barney Duffy. About 85 percent of Charlotte Tech students find work within a year of graduation, Duffy adds, and if you can't find a job while in school, the school still has your back. Alumni are welcome to use the school's career placement services after graduation.



7. North Central Kansas Technical College



Nationwide, only about 20 percent of students graduate from two-year institutions within three years of enrolling. At North Central Kansas Technical College in Beloit, Kan., 81 percent of full-time students leave campus with their credentials in that time frame, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.



North Central Kansas only offers technical programs -- 24 between two campuses -- and students may be required to collaborate with those outside of their degree program. Every year, students from the school's various programs -- carpentry, bricklaying, residential electricity, telecommunications, electronics engineering technology, and plumbing, heating and air conditioning -- work together to build a house from the foundation up.



"It really has been a great culmination and a great collaboration between a lot of different programs," says North Central Kansas Tech President Eric Burks. Proceeds from selling the house help fund the school's career technical programs.



North Central Kansas' technology studies program also works in tandem with the local four-year institution Fort Hays State University and provides transferrable credits students can apply toward a two-year degree program at North Central Kansas Tech or toward a four-year degree at Fort Hays State. All North Central students, regardless of program of study, receive direct attention from their teachers thanks to the school's sweet 10-1 student-faculty ratio.



6. Linn State Technical College in Linn, Mo.



Practical experience is the focus of Linn State Technical College in Linn, Mo. The reason this school boasts a 95 percent job-placement rate is because it goes to significant lengths to develop close ties with area businesses and industry leaders. Linn State boasts one of 11 Caterpillar dealer service technician programs in the country, and its commercial turf and grounds program was recognized as one of the top six in the U.S. by the National FFA Organization, also known as Future Farmers of America.





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