When considering key factors important to students, including cost and financing, classroom experience, education outcomes and career outcomes, Cochise College ranks 21st of 670 U.S. community colleges recently studied by WalletHub.
The online consumer information tool that helps users make financial decisions used 17 metrics in four weighted categories to compare not just institutions, but also community college systems. Arizona’s community college system ranks 12th. WalletHub’s announcement of its findings and methodology addressed growing respect for community colleges as their graduates achieve success.
“Cochise College is honored to have received another national recognition of the amazing things happening here,” said Dr. J.D. Rottweiler, president of Cochise College. “This ranking underscores the college’s efforts to balance costs while improving retention and completion. And, driving all of this is students’ return on their educational investment.”
The study took into account characteristics like tuition and fees, cost per student, school spending efficiency, and salaries; active and collaborative learning, academic challenge and student effort, support for learners, student-faculty ratio and interaction; retention, graduation and transfer rates; and ratio of starting salary for graduates to cost of education.
Cochise College was specifically highlighted for a low cost per student and high return on investment.