SmartAsset 2025 Study Highlights Continued Excellence in Student Success and Affordability
CCM continues its tradition of excellence, once again earning top honors as the #1 community college in New Jersey, according to SmartAsset’s 2025 study of the Best Community Colleges in the U.S.
Among the 18 New Jersey community colleges evaluated in the study, CCM stands as the top community college. It compared two-year institutions offering associate degrees and enrolling at least 500 full-time students based on key performance metrics including full-time retention rate, student-to-faculty ratio and in-state tuition and fees. This marks yet another significant accolade for the college and reinforces its consistent ranking as New Jersey’s leading community college, a distinction it has held since 2016.
“We’re proud to once again be recognized as the #1 community college in New Jersey by yet another ranking agency,” said CCM President Dr. Anthony J. Iacono. “This recognition speaks to the exceptional quality education we provide, the dedication of our faculty, staff and Board of Trustees, and our collective and unwavering commitment to student success. We are growing strategically in all the right ways — expanding programs, building more state-of-the-art facilities, and helping more students than ever reach their academic and career goals without having to take on burdensome debt.”
CCM has a strong track record of excellence from leading evaluators. Payscale ranks CCM #1 in New Jersey for salary potential and among the top 5% of community colleges nationwide. Intelligent.com named CCM a Best Community College in the state and Best for Transfer Students while Best Accredited Colleges also ranks CCM #1 in the state. College Factual ranked several of CCM’s degree programs, including Visual and Performing Arts, Hospitality, Criminal Justice and Radiologic Technology, as #1 in New Jersey, with several also earning top regional and national recognition.
Growth in Students, Programs and Facilities
Since 2016 the college has added more than 200 new credit courses and 27 new programs, expanding offerings in high-demand fields representing careers in technology, health care, engineering and manufacturing, business and data science. CCM’s commitment to optimizing teaching and learning environments can be seen in the addition of four new state of the art buildings and extensive renovations to existing facilities. The college’s nationally recognized model of partnering with industry leaders helps ensure students and employers alike can fulfill their professional goals.
For more information about CCM, visit www.ccm.edu. To support student success through the CCM Foundation, which raises funds for scholarships, programs and campus projects, visit www.ccm.edu/meet-ccm/about/ccm-foundation.
