By Mark Meredith/TVCC Public Information
Trinity Valley Community College received the second-highest position among Texas community colleges in a new list of the 100 Best Community Colleges in the U.S. TVCC ranks #16 nationally in rankings published by SmartAsset, a financial services company.
“Being named as one of the top community colleges in the country is a great honor,” said TVCC President Dr. Glendon Forgey. “There were five community colleges from Texas in the top 20, reflecting the great job that Texas community colleges are doing in providing low cost, quality higher education to our citizens. This is something that our legislative leaders and all Texans should appreciate.”
“Obviously, the TVCC faculty cannot be given enough credit for the job they do in the classroom to prepare our students,” Forgey continued. “The focus of TVCC is student success and transformation. The administration also plays a key part in that focus by ensuring that the college keeps the cost as low as possible while still providing for high quality faculty and staff. I have mentioned many times that everyone on campus has a role in the success of our students whether they are in the classroom or serving in another capacity. But TVCC would not be receiving these accolades without our wonderful, dedicated faculty. The college also has great support from our communities and they can take as much pride in this achievement as we at the college do.”
Vice President of Instruction, Dr. Jerry King added, “TVCC faculty and staff are continually striving for excellence in providing our students an opportunity to succeed. The SmartAsset study provides confirmation that TVCC is one of the best community colleges in the nation providing a high quality education at a low cost, a high success rate, and a good return on investment. TVCC will continue to provide opportunities that prepare and empower our students for success.”
As four-year college/university costs continue to rise nationwide, community colleges are increasingly important in providing cost-efficient education options. U.S. Census data indicates that an associate’s degree equals an average of $10,800 more per year in salary than workers with just a high school diploma or GED.
“It’s an honor to be ranked as one of the top community colleges in the nation,” said Vice President of Student Services, Dr. Jay Kinzer. “We will continue to focus on helping students identify their pathway to success, providing them quality educational programs and supporting them throughout their college completion.”
Forgey added, “TVCC has also been named in the top 10% of community colleges by the Aspen Institute, which looks primarily at student success and transfer rates, three consecutive times. The SmartAsset study, which considers graduation rates, earning potential after graduation, tuition cost, and student-faculty ratio, corroborates the Aspen Institute study that Trinity Valley is one of the top community colleges in the nation.”
The SmartAsset rankings came from a survey of 565 public two-year colleges. Only Lee College in Baytown ranked higher (9) than TVCC among Texas schools. Other area schools in the top 100 included Kilgore (42), Panola (55), Navarro (71) and Tyler (87).
SmartAsset is a financial technology company that provides advice on big personal financial decisions. The company is based in New York City.