CNNMoney reports Colorado Mountain College ranks in the top 20 out of nearly 800 community colleges from around the nation for successful graduation and transfer rates. The ranking was created for the news outlet by College Measures, a leading researcher of comparative value within higher education.
CMC’s “success rate” earned the college the No. 17 slot nationally, as well as the No. 1 ranking within Colorado. This places the college in the top 2 percent of success rates among all medium-sized public community colleges.
The success rate is drawn from each school’s federally reported rates of students graduating within three years or transferring to a four-year college.
“This is wonderful news for our students and our stakeholders,” said Dr. Jill Boyle, senior vice president at Colorado Mountain College. “This study illustrates the exceptional quality of the academic programs available at our college. The top-notch faculty CMC attracts from Colorado, and throughout the entire nation, create an educational experience that provides our students the competitive advantage they need to succeed. With the increased call for demonstrable results, now, more than ever, colleges must demonstrate a commitment to focusing resources on retention and student success.”
CNNMoney’s list compared all community colleges in the U.S. with more than 200 full-time freshmen. The article and ranking can be found at http://money.cnn.com/pf/college/community-colleges/.
Saving money draws praise from students
CNNMoney’s article – “How does your community college stack up?” – pointed to the growing trend of students attending community colleges because of affordability.
Keegan Hammond is a prime example. She earned an Associate of Science degree from CMC and transferred to the Colorado School of Mines with 60 college credits, putting her three to four semesters ahead of her peers. In a recent interview with CMC, Hammond estimated that she saved $50,000 in tuition, fees, and living expenses by starting at Colorado Mountain College, helping to stave off the substantial debt that some of her classmates will have when they graduate.
“It’s going to take them years to pay it off,” she said.
In the 2011-12 academic year, Colorado Mountain College’s full-time, in-district students paid tuition of less than $2,000 for lower-division courses, and in-state students paid approximately $3,000. This compares favorably to the national average of more than $8,000 in tuition that year at a public four-year college.
Strong start helps students reach goals
Tied in with the affordability of a community college are the benefits of transferring to a four-year institution.
Nick Whiting took engineering prerequisites through Colorado Mountain College’s campus in Steamboat Springs, before transferring to the University of Colorado at Boulder to complete a Bachelor of Science in electrical and computer engineering.
“At CMC, you’re in a far better place than most of your peers when transferring to a four-year college,” he said in a recent interview. “You’ll have learned how to learn, which is an experience that many students never learn at all in a large university setting.”
Dr. Meeta Goel, Colorado Mountain College’s vice president of institutional effectiveness, said CNNMoney’s high ranking of the college was evidence CMC is making a difference in students’ lives.
“Every goal counts, whether that is graduating with a degree or transferring to a four-year college,” she said. “If we’re meeting students’ goals, then the college has been successful.”
About Colorado Mountain College
Colorado Mountain College is a two-year, comprehensive community college that also grants bachelor’s degrees. Through its 11 learning locations grouped into seven physical campuses, as well as via distance learning, CMC serves the educational needs of a population spread across 12,000 square miles in north-central Colorado – an area the size of Maryland. The college provides liberal arts and science certificate and associate degree programs, bachelor’s degrees in business administration and sustainability studies, basic and lifelong learning, and customized business training. Colorado Mountain College prepares Colorado’s workforce through apprenticeships, internships and experiential learning in beautiful mountain settings.
Our mission is to create a better future. Our vision is to become first choice in learning, partnerships, and leadership.
About CNNMoney and College Measures
CNNMoney is a service of CNN and “Fortune” and “Money” magazines.
College Measures is a partnership between the American Institutes for Research and Matrix Knowledge Group, focused on using data to drive improvement in higher education outcomes in the United States. College Measures says they have created this partnership because they are deeply concerned about improving higher education in the United States, and believe that important underlying data is underexposed and underutilized by students, parents, policymakers, and even by institutions themselves.