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Holmes ranks No. 2 best community college by online site
Holmes Community College has been ranked the #2 best community college in the United States in terms of "Best Value" by AffordableCollegesOnline.com (ACO), a leader in higher education information, resources and rankings. The college was ranked for standing out in both quality and affordability.
ACO generated the rankings by analyzing cost and quality metrics of thousands of U.S. community colleges with online degree programs. To view the rankings, visit: http://www.affordablecolleges.com/rankings/community-colleges/.
"Our goal at AffordableColleges.com is to help prospective students find schools and programs that match their educational interests while still being affordable," said Katelyn Whitaker, public relations coordinator for ACO.
According to www.affordablecolleges.com, 11 data points comprise the unique rankings algorithm that drives AffordableColleges.com's value score. The first four involve financial metrics, including the tuition, the number of students receiving financial aid, the average net price students pay and the loan default rate. The next five metrics include enrollment rate, full-time retention rate, graduation rate, the student: faculty ratio and the admissions rate, which is calculated by taking the number of students who were accepted to the school and dividing it by the total number of applications. Finally, the last two metrics used to rank the schools were the number of programs offered and the percentage of students taking at least one online course.
"It is very meaningful to offer an affordable, quality education to the students in our nine district counties and beyond through eLearning," said Holmes President Dr. Jim Haffey. "Holmes continues to receive awards and prestigious rankings because of our hard-working eLearning faculty and staff. They keep the college up-to-date on the latest trends in technology and innovation in online learning, and I am very grateful for the work they all do."
Currently, 91 percent of students at Holmes receive financial aid. The Office of Financial Aid administers a variety of programs to assist in meeting student financial needs, including Federal and State financial aid programs, student loans, state scholarships and Federal Work-Study.
Holmes is part of the Mississippi Virtual Community College (MSVCC), and offers classes via the Internet platform Canvas. Courses are offered both by Holmes instructors and through other instructors in the MSVCC. Although a number of options are offered, including regular semester courses, four-week courses, and eight-week courses, the eLearning Department offers to customize schedules for interested students if they do not see a class they need. At this time, Holmes offers 48 online programs.
A multi-campus institution, Holmes offers the Associate of Arts degree, Associate of Applied Science degree, technical and career certificates and workforce training. The college now offers more than 50 academic majors, approximately 30 professional programs and a variety of student support services. Holmes is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
For more information about Holmes, visit www.holmescc.edu. Save
