Ranking the best and worst community colleges in 2025

Choosing a college is a lot of work when a prospective student is weighing their options. One of the main considerations for schools is tuition costs, which vary depending on your preference, whether it is a four-year university or community college. 

While these academic institutions have their advantages for students, community colleges can offer students an opportunity to get a quality education with a little more financial relief.

There are many differences with community colleges from tuition costs to course offerings and WalletHub released a new study of these schools to determine where students can receive a quality education that’s financially reasonable. 

Best and worst community colleges in 2025 

Why you should care: WalletHub compared over 650 community colleges across 18 key criteria. These categories range from the cost of in-state tuition and fees to student-faculty ratio to graduation rate. The schools were also ranked based on three key factors: cost & financing, education outcomes and career outcomes. WalletHub graded each school on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 being the highest.

Best community colleges

1. State Technical College of Missouri
2. Manhattan Area Technical College
3. Pratt Community College
4. Woodland Community College
5. De Anza College
6. College of San Mateo
7. Santa Fe Community College
8. Saddleback College
9. Santa Rosa Junior College
10. Alexandria Technical & Community College

Worst community colleges

1. Little Big Horn College
2. Chief Dull Knife College
3. Mississippi Delta Community College
4. Coahoma Community College
5. Essex County College
6. Angelina College
7. Eastern Gateway Community College
8. Lanier Technical College
9. Tohono O'odham Community College
10. Leech Lake Tribal College

Study details best community colleges

Dig deeper: WalletHub ranked State Technical College of Missouri, Manhattan Area Technical College, and Pratt Community College as their top three schools and here’s what researchers explained about the schools. 

State Technical College of Missouri

State Technical College of Missouri is ranked as the best community college, in part because 90% of students stay with the school from the first year to the second year, which WalletHub notes is the best retention rate in the U.S., and 79% of students graduate – the best graduation rate in the nation.

According to WalletHub, the Missouri college received the third-largest amount of grant or scholarship aid, with an average of $9,223 per student. Lastly, the State Technical College of Missouri also offers credit for life experiences and provides employment services to students.

Manhattan Area Technical College

Manhattan Area Technical College in Manhattan, Kansas, ranks as the second-best community college in 2025, mainly because it puts students on track for good future earning potential. WalletHub noted that 77% of former students earn more than the average income of individuals with only a high school education (between ages 25 and 34). Graduates also have a median salary of almost $52,000, the 12th-highest among the schools. The school also offers employment services to help students find jobs.

According to WalletHub, the college also has the lowest student-loan default rate, the fifth-highest graduation rate, and the ninth-best retention rate of students between year one and year two.

Pratt Community College

Pratt Community College in Kansas is the third-best community college in the U.S. More than 92% of the college’s instructional and research staff are full-time employees, the third-highest rate in the U.S. In addition, Pratt graduates are also unlikely to default on their student loan debt, and they have the 11th-highest median income, at $51,892.

WalletHub noted that Pratt offers employment services for students and gives credit for life experiences. Moreover, students get substantial grants and scholarships, at an average of more than $6,700 each.