BC3 Ranked No. 1 Community College in Pennsylvania A Sixth Time Since 2015

(Butler, PA) For the sixth time since 2015, Butler County Community College has been selected as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania, most recently by a third organization joining others that determine rankings after assessing institutions of higher education.

Niche.com, Pittsburgh, analyzed information from the U.S. Department of Education, from the Brookings Institution and from other sources in areas such as academics, value and professors in ranking BC3 first in its 2022 Best Community Colleges in Pennsylvania report.

BestColleges.com and Schools.com also analyzed information from the U.S. Department of Education in their rankings of BC3 since 2015.

In its most recent report, BestColleges.com ranked BC3 as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania for 2020. BestColleges.com also ranked BC3 as No. 1 in 2017, as did Schools.com in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

“What this latest ranking tells us is that our position as the No. 1 community college has been sustainable,” said Dr. Nick Neupauer, president of BC3, which has locations in Armstrong, Butler, Jefferson, Lawrence and Mercer counties.

“It’s been several years now. It also tells us that there is not just one organization that is validating us as the top-ranked community college.”

Joseph E. Kubit is chairman of BC3’s board of trustees, a BC3 graduate and a BC3 distinguished alumnus.

“I believe these rankings make it clear that the faculty, administration and staff of the college are committed to providing students with the highest quality and most affordable education and training possible,” Kubit said.

“These stellar rankings should serve to prospective students as objective indicators of the high quality of this institution that they can and should consider when choosing a college.”

Students socialize on Butler County Community College’s main campus in Butler Township on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021, during BC3’s welcome day for new students. Welcome day for new students was also held Aug. 20 at BC3’s additional locations in Armstrong, Butler, Jefferson, Lawrence and Mercer counties.

BC3 @ Lawrence Crossing student: “Faculty definitely helpful”

Academics and value were weighted most heavily among the nine factors Niche.com considered in its rankings.

“When we look specifically at the community college rankings, those are the two areas that really stand out to us,” said Jordan Bazzani, director of customer support for Niche.com. “Academics is the crux of it all for us. We find that looking at the academics most heavily is going to give us the best indicator of the success of an institution.

“Value is an important part of the community college system in the United States. Expenses of education are really important to students and their families.”

Niche also considered student and alumni reviews.

“BC3’s faculty is definitely helpful,” said Alaina Kelley, a New Castle resident who earned a high school equivalency diploma and is a psychology student at BC3 @ Lawrence Crossing in New Castle.

“They take their time with you. They help you to become better. They make sure you are on the same level as the other students. I’m glad that I am here and gaining knowledge from BC3.”

Caleb Martin said he attended a “big-name college” in his first semester.

“You’re just a number there,” said Martin, a Seneca Valley High School graduate and BC3 computer information systems-computer support specialist student who said he benefits from BC3’s 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

“Here I’m in a class with maybe 10 people and you really get to know the professors, and they get to know you. If you are struggling, they can help you. You get a better education.”

Mike Dittman, a BC3 professor who teaches writing and English courses, said he has taught 60 to 80 students in lecture halls at large institutions.

“The dynamic is completely different,” Dittman said. “You don’t know the students. You don’t know them by name or even by face. Without a doubt, the small class size is one of the big draws to BC3. It raises everyone. Small class sizes create this sense of collaboration and camaraderie that raises the level of work and discourse in the class, and raises their comfort level with making that difficult transition from high school to college.”

BC3 @ LindenPointe student: “You save so much money”

About 70 percent of parents of current or prospective college students ages 16-18, and current or prospective college students reported that college affordability impacted their plans for college enrollment, according to Citizens Financial Group survey results published Aug. 6 by CNBC.

“My parents are still paying off their college,” said Emma Rihn, a Butler Area Senior High School graduate and BC3 business administration student. “I know that a lot of students graduate debt-free from BC3. I don’t want to be in debt my whole life.”

Seventy percent of BC3’s Class of 2021 graduated debt-free. About 70 percent of BC3 students in the spring 2021 semester were enrolled in transfer programs.

According to the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges, students attending a community college for their first two years can save an estimated $20,000 on the cost of higher education.

“I would invest that in my future,” said Ryan Moore, a Mercer Area Junior-Senior High School graduate, member of the Pennsylvania National Guard and criminology student at BC3 @ LindenPointe in Hermitage.

“That would help me to move out from my parents’ house, get an apartment and start my career. A new car for sure. You save so much money going to a community college. I don’t have to pay for housing or meal plans.”

BC3 students from Lawrence and Mercer counties this fall will pay $275 per credit in tuition and fees for a face-to-face class.

Regional public four-year universities this fall will charge Pennsylvania students between $437 and $504 per credit for a face-to-face class. Regional state-related universities will charge Pennsylvania students between $572 and $1,170 per credit in tuition and fees this fall for a face-to-face class.

Three more start dates this fall

BC3’s 10-week second session begins Sept. 20, and its five-week online Fast Tracks, Sept. 27 and Nov. 1.

BC3 in 2021 was also named a Military Friendly School for a sixth time since 2013, received an anonymous $1 million gift and its sixth in that amount since 2014, and raised a record $115,000 in a golf outing that raises unrestricted funds to support scholarships and opportunities beyond the classroom. The college also announced the creation of a practical nursing program that will respond to the high-priority occupation in western Pennsylvania.

BC3 was also ranked in August by WalletHub as the No. 2 community college in Pennsylvania in 2021. WalletHub analyzed information from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for Education Statistics and other sources.