WVC listed in Best of Community Colleges 2015 report

Media Contacts: Susan Murray, executive director of institutional effectiveness, 509.682.6435

October 2, 2015

Wenatchee Valley College has been listed as one of the Best Community Colleges of 2015 in a report by SmartAsset. WVC received a ranking of 50 out of 100 and was one of six Washington state community colleges named on the list.

The report highlights community colleges' important role as tuition rates continue to rise nationally. According to U.S. Census data, students who attend community colleges save on tuition, have fewer student loans to pay off, and, for those who earn an associate's degree, earn an average of $10,800 more than those with only a high school diploma or GED.

SmartAsset looked at 565 public two-year colleges and took into consideration the graduation and transfer rate, in-state tuition, median starting salary compared to overall cost to attend college, and student to teacher ratio.

The SmartAsset report focuses more strongly on graduation and transfer rates, and on student to faculty ratios than many other college ranking systems, said Dr. Susan Murray, WVC Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness. WVC has a 40% graduation and transfer rate, which includes both students who graduate with an associate degree and those who transfer to a four-year college or university without a degree. According to Murray, the top in-state transfer institutions for WVC students are Central Washington University-Ellensburg, which receives about 35-40% of WVC transfer students annually; Eastern Washington University; Washington State University-Pullman; and Western Governors University, an online public university that is increasing in popularity for students throughout the state.

WVC also boasts small class sizes, with an 18:1 student to faculty ratio. The tuition rate was $3,718 at the time of the report. The starting salary to cost ratio for WVC students was 1.25 times the full cost to attend school, which means graduates on average are making more than they spent in the first year they are employed after graduating.

For more information, visit smartasset.com/student-loans/the-best-community-colleges-of-2015.