Southeast Community College continues to receive national accolades as the website www.createacareer.org ranks SCC the 21st best community college in the United States.
There are approximately 1,200 community colleges in the nation.
The website, which provides career information, occupations and best careers and college degrees, revealed its rankings in late 2013.
The site selected the schools based on an evaluation of several studies and ratings of community colleges located throughout the nation. It looked at factors such as student retention rates, percentage of students who graduate or transfer to another school within three years, student-to-faculty ratios, student support, the types of programs provided, and the schools’ reputation.
Dr. Jack Huck, SCC president, said the latest ranking “validates the excellent work the College has completed.”
“We have accomplished many great things,” Huck said, “and it’s nice to be ranked among the nation’s elite institutions. But we always strive to improve what we’re doing, and that is serving constituents in our 15-county area and our students.”
The site says this about SCC:
“Southeast Community College – Lincoln located in Lincoln, Nebraska, offers three campuses and over 20 learning centers.
“Southeast Community College – Lincoln ranked #8 in the 2012 CNN Money community colleges list. Southeast Community College ranked #8 in a list of 786 community colleges in the United States for Student Success Rates, based on graduation and retention statistics. The community college included in the top 120 U.S. community colleges by the Aspen Institute in 2011 and in 2013.
“For eight consecutive years Southeast Community College – Lincoln has the most graduates of any school in the United States in Precision Production fields (computer aided design, machine tool technology, manufacturing engineering technology and drafting).
“The junior college emphasizes global education, offering global perspectives for its courses to help prepare students to work in a global environment.
“Southeast Community College provides Associate of Arts Degrees, Associate of Applied Science Degrees and Associate of Science Degrees. The community college also offers certificates and diplomas.
“Students have more than 50 programs to choose from. Southeast Community College also provides over 10 online study programs and over than 300 courses.
“Southeast Community College’s Continuing Education Program provides an array of courses, workshops and seminars for people of all ages. The school also operates a nationally-renown Entrepreneurship Center which provides a business incubator for new and growing enterprises.”
SCC has campuses in Beatrice, Lincoln and Milford and serves a 15-county area of southeast Nebraska.
The www.createacareer.org site also said this about community colleges:
“Community colleges serve almost half of all undergraduate students in the United States. Community colleges play a vital role in developing the workforce and preparing students to enroll at four-year colleges. Community colleges provide vocational programs and academic transfer programs.
“Community colleges are also known as junior colleges, city colleges or technical colleges.
“Community colleges are mostly two-year public institutions providing associate’s degrees, diplomas and certificates. Often students can complete a certificate program in one year or less.
“Community colleges prepare a large number of the nation’s police officers, nurses, paramedics and advanced-skill technicians.
“Due to the strong partnerships many community colleges have with business and industry, students at community colleges often use cutting-edge equipment in their courses.
“Community colleges provide career-focused programs not available at four-year colleges.”