Ohio community colleges rank near the bottom in new national study

Ohio didn't fare well in a new ranking of community colleges across the country.

A WalletHub study revealed the best and worst community colleges in the nation, and where states ranked best overall. Ohio was ranked 41st — last among the states that were ranked.

"Despite the fact that community colleges can offer significant cost advantages, not every state offers schools of the same quality," WalletHub says.

National rankings were determined using a weighted average of the individual score of each community college and the number of students attending each college.

The top three states were: Maryland, New Mexico and Connecticut, the study says.

The highest scoring community college in Ohio was Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, which carried a score of 54.69 out of 100. But that score earned the school a ranking of 414th out of the 653 schools that were scored.

Stark State College, located in suburban Canton, ranked well near the bottom of the national list. Its score also was the second lowest in Ohio, as it scored 48.46 overall and placed 588th in the national ranking.

“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," WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said in a prepared statement. "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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Where are the best community colleges in Ohio?

Here's the list of community colleges in the Ohio area that were scored in the study, ranked from highest to lowest:

1. Lakeland Community College
2. Belmont College
3. Columbus State Community College
4. Owens Community College
5. Northwest State Community College
6. Terra State Community College
7. Hocking College
8. Cuyahoga Comunity College District
9. Southern State Community College
10. Edison State Community College
11. Stark State College
12. Eastern Gateway Community College

Where are the best community colleges in the US?

Here are the top 10 best ranked community colleges in the nation, according to the study:

1. Manhattan Area Technical College in Kansas
2. State Technical College of Missouri
3. Pratt Community College in Kansas
4. Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico
5. Southeast New Mexico College in New Mexico
6. Irvine Valley College in California
7. Moraine Park Technical College in Wisconsin
8. CT State Community College Asnuntuck in Connecticut
9. College of San Mateo in California
10. Montgomery College in Maryland

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio community colleges rank near the bottom in new national study