PRCC makes another ‘best’ list for community colleges

          Pearl River Community College has again been recognized as one of the country’s best.
          The StateUniversity.com website ranks PRCC as 15th on its list of the 500 best community colleges in the United States for 2015.
          PRCC is the only Mississippi community college listed in the top 85 on the list. PRCC is one of more than 1,100 community colleges in the U.S.
          “I am truly excited about the recognition that our college has received from the StateUniversity.com organization,” said Dr. William Lewis, PRCC president. “To be recognized as one of America’s best community colleges by this organization is truly an honor for us.
          “The recognition exemplifies the great efforts our employees make to ensure Pearl River students receive a quality higher education. We are proud of the achievements of our students that helped make this recognition possible.”
            According to its website, StateUniversity.com uses many different measures in determining the rank of a particular school. The most important factors are a school’s ACT/SAT scores, its student retention, faculty salary, and student / faculty ratio.
            PRCC’s score was 77.41, out of a possible score of 100.
            “Recognition of this magnitude should be celebrated across the college,” said Dr. Adam Breerwood, vice president for the Poplarville campus and Hancock Center. “This award is an example of the collaborative efforts of all departments to help our students achieve success. This honor is a direct reflection of the leadership of Dr. Lewis and the environment for achievement he has created.”
            This ranking is another in a long list of national recognitions the college has received in recent years. 
            Last year, the Brookings Institute released its “Beyond College Rankings” study that ranked universities and community colleges on a value-added system that measures the difference between actual alumni outcomes (like salaries) and the outcomes one would expect given a student’s characteristics and the type of institution.
            For two-year colleges, PRCC was ranked third in the nation for having the highest value-added with respect to mid-career earnings.
            Also, the Create a Career website recently ranked PRCC as 23rd on its list of the 25 Best Community Colleges in the United States.
            Selection was based on evaluation of several studies and ratings of community colleges throughout the nation, according to the website. Factors included 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 school’s reputation.
           Other honors include PRCC’s recognition as 20th in the 2012 CNN Money list of top community colleges, its ranking in 2013 by the Aspen Institute in the top 10 percent of U.S. community colleges and its membership in the National Collegiate Honors Council.
          PRCC also was ranked in the top 10 percent by the Aspen Institute in 2012, was listed 28th by TheBestSchools.org in 2013 and is on the 2015 Military Friendly Schools list.
           Such recognition increases PRCC’s visibility to high school students using the Internet to research college opportunities.
           “It is exciting to see PRCC receive this honor,” said Delana Harris, PRCC director of recruitment and marketing. 
           “Recognition such as this impacts our recruiting efforts by calling attention to the excellent opportunities available to students who enroll at PRCC. PRCC has so much to offer, including quality academics, cutting-edge programs, affordable tuition and exciting student life. Our graduates continually excel in their chosen careers and in furthering their education.”
           The website can be found at https://www.stateuniversity.com/rank/score_rank_by_commc.html