President B. Kaye Walter, Ph.D., greeted students as they arrived for the first day of classes at Bergen Community College’s main campus Sept. 2.
PARAMUS, N.J. – According to data compiled by Community College Week, Bergen Community College now ranks as New Jersey’s top associate degree granting institution.
On the strength of a 13 percent year-over-year increase in graduates, Bergen leapfrogged last year’s New Jersey No. 1 – Monmouth County’s Brookdale Community College – to claim the top spot. Bergen awarded degrees to 2,222 students in the class of 2013, placing it 29th among all two-year institutions in the U.S. Bergen and Brookdale (43rd) are the only New Jersey colleges to appear in the publication’s annual “Top 100 Associate Degree Producers” list for total graduates. Bergen ranked 43rd on last year’s list; Brookdale ranked 39th.
Bergen President B. Kaye Walter, Ph.D. said the top state rank and high national placement reflect the College’s institutional priority of supporting student success.
“When community colleges talk about a ‘commitment to completion,’ supporting students from application to graduation remains the overriding goal,” President Walter said. “Over the past few years, we have focused our strategic planning and execution on this idea – providing high-quality engagement through all facets of the institution. Whether that means employing an award winning faculty, supplying efficient student service resources or high-technology facilities, Bergen aims to support students at all levels. With another year of dedication to these goals – and a double-digit increase in graduates this year – a top 25 ranking in future publications remains within our reach.”
Bergen’s May class of 2014 stood as the largest in the institution’s near-50 year history.
The Aug. 18 edition of Community College Week also ranked schools based on subsets including ethnicity and degree type. Bergen appeared:
- 13th in liberal arts and science, general studies and humanities degrees granted by two year institutions – its highest ranking on any of the publication’s lists;
- 32nd among two-year institutions granting associate degrees to Hispanic students;
- 33rd among two-year institutions granting associate degrees to Asian American students;
- 37th among two-year institutions granting associate degrees to minority students.
Community College Week’s 2015 list will release next summer.
Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu) based in Paramus is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling nearly 16,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields.
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