July 26, 2020
SmartAsset ranked East Mississippi Community College 12th in the nation in “The Best Community Colleges in the U.S. — 2020 Edition.”
SmartAsset analyzed more than 800 community colleges for the annual report that compares graduation and transfer rates, student-to-faculty ratios and the cost of in-state tuition and fees, according to the report.
This is the fifth year in a row EMCC has made the annual list, placing in the Top 10 during the four previous years. Last year EMCC Placed No. 8 on the list and ranked No. 5 in 2018, No. 3 in 2017 and No. 8 in 2016.
“Students who come to East Mississippi Community College are getting a quality education that is as good as any offered anywhere in the nation,” EMCC President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks said. “They can leave here ready to enter the workforce or well prepared to continue their educational journey at a four-year institution. Just as important, when our students graduate from EMCC, they leave here with little, or in some cases no, student debt.”
According to research.collegeboard.org, the average in-state tuition for community colleges during the 2018-2019 school year, excluding room and board, was $3,630, while the average in-state undergraduate tuition at a public four-year institution was $10,440. The average tuition at a private, non-profit four-year institution was $35,680, according to the research.collegeboard.org website. EMCC’s annual in-state tuition and fees for the 2018-19 school year was $3,440, according to the SmartAsset report.
According to a Feb. 3 article in Forbes titled “Student Loan Debt Statistics in 2020”, more than 44.7 million U.S. residents owe a collective $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, with an average loan amount of $32,731.
The comparison data SmartAsset used to compile the rankings was obtained through the National Center for Education Statistics' Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for the 2018-19 school year, which is the latest year for which the information is available, according to the report.
Of the community colleges that ranked in the Top 25 on the list, only five had higher graduation and transfer rates than EMCC, where 82 percent of students completed their studies or transferred to a four-year institution, the report states.
Read the SmartAsset report here: https://bit.ly/3jy2Mud
"East Mississippi Community College has been an incredible launching pad for my future! I'm so grateful for the knowledge and experiences I've gained here!"
“I chose EMCC because it gave me the best opportunities coming out of high school. I got plenty of scholarships because the school offered so many. An Education is a very powerful tool.”
"EMCC isn't just a place to learn, it's home. Passionate instructors around every corner offered an opportunity to grow. Remember - there's a whole community invested in your success."
"At first no one was really concerned about me going to college. When I decided to go on my own it put a lot of pressure on me because I'm the first one in my family to go to college. This idea made it all the more reason for me to succeed."
"East Mississippi Community College has provided an exceptional foundation for my academic and personal growth. The professors' dedication has fostered my development into a stronger student. EMCC offered numerous opportunities for me to excel, both in academics and extracurricular activities. Here, I've built incredible friendships that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. The knowledge I gained and the memories I made at EMCC will forever be a part of me when I embark on my journey to a four-year college."
1512 Kemper St., Scooba, MS 39358
662.476.5000
8731 South Frontage Rd., Mayhew, MS 39753
662.243.1900
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