With Americans struggling financially due to rising inflation and a year of community college nearly three times less expensive than a year at a public four-year college, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst Community Colleges, coupled with its state-by-state ranking of the Best & Worst Community-College Systems, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary.
To determine where students can receive the best education at the cheapest rates, WalletHub compared more than 650 community colleges across 19 key indicators of cost and quality. The data set ranges from the cost of in-state tuition and fees to student-faculty ratio to graduation rate.
| Top 20 Community Colleges | |
| 1. State Technical College of Missouri (MO) | 11. Northwestern Connecticut Community College (CT) |
| 2. Northwest Iowa Community College (IA) | 12. Manchester Community College (CT) |
| 3. Alexandria Technical & Community College (MN) | 13. Irvine Valley College (CA) |
| 4. Manhattan Area Technical College (KS) | 14. Kauai Community College (HI) |
| 5. Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NE) | 15. Capital Community College (CT) |
| 6. Mitchell Technical College (SD) | 16. Moraine Park Technical College (WI) |
| 7. Montgomery College (MD) | 17. College of San Mateo (CA) |
| 8. Tillamook Bay Community College (OR) | 18. Fox Valley Technical College (WI) |
| 9. Mt. Hood Community College (OR) | 19. Blue Mountain Community College (OR) |
| 10. Naugatuck Valley Community College (CT) | 20. Clackamas Community College (OR) |
| States with the Best Community-College Systems | |
| 1. Connecticut | 11. Colorado |
| 2. Maryland | 12. Kansas |
| 3. New Mexico | 13. Tennessee |
| 4. Washington | 14. South Dakota |
| 5. Hawaii | 15. Michigan |
| 6. Wisconsin | 16. Iowa |
| 7. Minnesota | 17. California |
| 8. Wyoming | 18. Nebraska |
| 9. North Dakota | 19. New York |
| 10. Oregon | 20. New Hampshire |
