Maryland Ranked Best Community College System

With Americans struggling financially due to significant inflation and a year of community college nearly three times less expensive than a year at a public four-year college, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst Community Colleges, coupled with its state-by-state ranking of the Best & Worst Community-College Systems, as well as expert commentary.

To determine where students can receive the best education at the cheapest rates, WalletHub compared more than 650 community colleges across 18 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. Moreno Valley College (CA)
2. Manhattan Area Technical College (KS)	12. Irvine Valley College (CA)
3. Pratt Community College (KS)	13. Mitchell Technical College (SD)
4. Woodland Community College (CA)	14. Gogebic Community College (MI)
5. De Anza College (CA)	15. Colby Community College (KS)
6. College of San Mateo (CA)	16. Kellogg Community College (MI)
7. Santa Fe Community College (NM)	17. Montgomery College (MD)
8. Saddleback College (CA)	18. Norco College (CA)
9. Santa Rosa Junior College (CA)	19. Southeast New Mexico College (NM)
10. Alexandria Technical & Community College (MN)	20. Clackamas Community College (OR)

 

States with the Best Community-College Systems
1. Maryland	11. Hawaii
2. New Mexico	12. Minnesota
3. Wisconsin	13. Colorado
4. North Dakota	14. Connecticut
5. Washington	15. Michigan
6. Oregon	16. Iowa
7. South Dakota	17. Tennessee
8. Wyoming	18. California
9. New Hampshire	19. Massachusetts
10. Kansas	20. New York

To read the full reports, please visit:

• Individual Schools: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-community-colleges/15076
• States: https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-best-worst-community-college-systems/15073

Key takeaways and WalletHub commentary are included below in text and video format.

“A good community college minimizes costs for students while also providing an enriching learning experience that leads to high student retention and high graduation rates. The best colleges also help their students even post-graduation by offering employment services to help them find jobs with good salaries. Finally, many of the best community colleges realize school isn’t the only place people learn, so they offer credit for life experiences.”
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“Community colleges are an especially attractive option this year as many families deal with inflated prices. Students who initially planned on attending a private four-year college might want to consider spending two years at a community college and transferring those credits once they are in a better financial situation.”

– Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Expert Commentary

Do you think making community college tuition free will increase enrollment and graduation rates?

“Yes, it is likely that it will increase enrollment. A good example of how this has happened recently is in Massachusetts, which saw community college increases after making enrollment free in certain circumstances. It is still important to recognize that people decide to go to postsecondary education for a variety of reasons, including location and type of programs that a select school may offer. Also, enrollment will not lead to graduation if the students do not have the support they need. These supports can range from the academic (e.g., tutoring) to psycho-emotional (e.g., mental health support). Getting to the graduation finish line requires more than access to college.”
Raquel Muñiz, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Boston College

“While making community college tuition free may seem like a straightforward strategy to boost enrollment and graduation rates, the relationship is more nuanced. Reducing tuition can certainly expand access, particularly for lower-income students, but eliminating tuition altogether may not always yield the intended outcomes. Research on student motivation suggests that an optimal level of ‘cost,’ whether financial, psychological, or effort-related, can benefit student persistence and performance… If the financial burden is too heavy, students are deterred from enrolling. But when something is completely free, it runs the risk of being undervalued or taken for granted. When students contribute something toward their education, even a modest amount, they may perceive it as an investment and be more likely to stay committed to completing their program. That said, community college tuition should be as affordable and equitable as possible. Reducing financial barriers is essential to promoting access, but preserving a minimal level of investment can encourage persistence and a deeper sense of value in students’ educational pursuits.”
Marcus L. Johnson, PhD – Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

Should community colleges focus more on preparing graduates for the workforce through career and technical education or on preparing graduates to move to a 4-year college?

“Students at community colleges come with a range of aspirations. Their aspirations may change over the course of their lives or careers. Ideally, programs would prepare individuals for employment while also laying the groundwork for further study, if desired. However, recognizing financial, administrative, and academic limitations, community colleges must set priorities for programming. Understanding the motivations and aspirations of students through annual reviews and setting up an advisory board of alumni and regional business representatives would help make decisions that are best suited to the area and students to be served.”
Rene S. Parmar, Ph.D. – Professor; Dean, School of Education, SUNY New Paltz

“To me, this question suggests a false binary. Community colleges can and should do both of these things. Many students come to college with the goal of transferring to a four-year institution, while others are interested in earning a credential to enter the workforce quickly. I think that the key is to have a variety of paths for students and make sure that they are clear and well-designed. Career and Technical (CTE) programs need to be stackable, which means that a certificate can lead to an associate’s degree and an associate’s degree can lead to a bachelor’s. I also think it is essential to have pathways between the various foci. Sometimes students change their minds.”
Marybeth Gasman – Endowed Chair in Education; Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University – New Brunswick

What is the outlook for community college education in 2025?

“The outlook for all higher education is a little bit bleak because of recent Federal policies. I’m on the record multiple times in suggesting that the federal government is not likely to get financial aid out in the fall on time or even if they do, there are likely to be strings attached that have not been well thought out – and definitely not have been thought out for their effects on colleges beyond the elite institutions that the Federal Administration is currently focused on. They have become an unreliable partner. Additionally, as recession indicators are a little bit higher than they previously were and states are already trimming budgets – higher education is in a weak financial state. There’s a paper called testing the balance wheel, by Jennifer Delaney, which shows that when states are in budgetary constrictions one of the first areas to be caught is higher education. States must fund k-12 and also medical related expenses, and that will come at the expense of higher education.”
Dr. Daniel A. Collier – Assistant Professor, University of Memphis

“Community colleges are being asked to do a lot more in recent years. They have been tasked with increasing the skills of workers, closing equity gaps, often supporting displaced students, and also responding to local and regional workforce development needs. With this said, I see a lot of innovation at community colleges. They are places of deep hope and aspiration and strong spaces of equity. However, they need increased funding as they are doing this work on very little money.”
Marybeth Gasman – Endowed Chair in Education; Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University – New Brunswick