National ranking for one of our own

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College has been ranked the 7th best two-year college in the nation, according to a study published in Washington Monthly. The rankings, which are the first of their kind, used data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)and graduation rate statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Education.

CCSSE data is compiled into five categories, which have been found to have a positive impact on student success, according to Kevin Carey, research and policy manager at Education Sector, an independent, nonpartisan think tank, which compiled the results for Washington Monthly. Those benchmarks are Active and Collaborative Learning, Student Effort, Academic Challenge, Student-Faculty Interaction, and Support for Learners. Carey’s research based 85 percent of the college ratings on these CCSSE benchmarks, while 15 percent was based on federal graduation rates.

WITC’s highest CCSSE scores were reflected in the Active and Collaborative Learning category, while the WITC benchmark for Student-Faculty Interaction was also quite high.

While many high school counselors and parents alike will remain more likely to turn to U.S. News & World Report when it comes to choosing a four-year college, Carey is hopeful the Washington Monthly ratings will raise awareness of the quality of our nation’s two-year colleges.