New York is among the top 20 states with the best community colleges, according to WalletHub.
According to WalletHub, tuition at public four-year colleges is around three times higher on average than that of community colleges, making community colleges a lot more accessible to Americans.
“Community colleges are an especially attractive option this year as many families deal with inflated prices,” WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said. “Students who initially planned on attending a private four-year college might want to consider spending two years at a community college and transferring those credits once they are in a better financial situation.”
However, not every state in America offers community colleges with the same campus and education quality.
To determine which states offer the best community college systems, WalletHub analyzed its “Best and Worst Community Colleges” study to develop a state-by-state ranking of the different community colleges.
Here’s what to know about New York’s ranking.
Does New York have a good community college system?
New York falls somewhere in the middle when it comes to states with the best community college systems, according to WalletHub.
The Empire State ranked No. 18 among the 39 states included in WalletHub’s study.
WalletHub’s “Best and Worst Community Colleges” study ranked 613 community colleges across the country. Some of the New York community colleges included:
CUNY Stella and Charles Guttman Community College also tied for first place for highest per-pupil spending with four other schools in Minnesota, New Mexico, Montana and Michigan.
WalletHub’s ranking shows that New York offers a broad range of quality within its community college system.
WalletHub’s top 10 states with best community college systems
How WalletHub assessed community college systems by state
To determine the best and worst community college systems in the United States, WalletHub looked at its previous 2026 analysis “Best and Worst Community Colleges,” which compared a sample of 613 schools across the country across 18 different metrics.
WalletHub then calculated the weighted average of scores of the community colleges in each state and the number of students enrolled at each school.
Data used to create the ranking was collected as of July 14, 2026, and was sourced from multiple entities, including the National Center for Education Statistics, Campaign for Free College Tuition, the U.S. Department of Education and Council for Community & Economic Research.
—Madison Scott is a New York Connect reporter, covering entertainment, breaking and consumer news, and trending topics with a focus on stories that matter to readers across New York state. She also has an interest in how the system helps or doesn’t help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at MDScott@USATodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New York ranks among top 20 states for best community colleges
Reporting by Madison Scott, New York Connect Team / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Madison Scott, New York Connect Team | USA TODAY Network
