MGCCC ranked in top 100 associate-degree producers in nation

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has once again been named one of the top associate-degree producers in the nation, with more than 2,000 students receiving degrees in 2011. Community College Week, an educational magazine, ranked the college at No. 59 in the nation overall.

Gulf Coast has been named in the top 100 nine times since 2002. It is the only community college in the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee to make the overall top-100 list, a singular designation the college has received seven times. The ranking is based on the number of degrees awarded to students from the country’s 1,300 community colleges.

"This is a significant accomplishment for Gulf Coast, and it is a testament to our commitment to instructional excellence and student success," says Dr. Mary S. Graham, president of Gulf Coast.

Gulf Coast was also highly ranked in several lists the magazine compiled. Moving up a spot from the 2011 list, Gulf Coast claimed the No. 4 spot with education majors, making it the top-ranked community college on the list of education majors. The college had 306 students earning associate degrees in education, and it is the ninth year in a row in which the college has placed in the top 10 on that list.

The college also continues to rank high in graduation rates for African-American students. It ranked No. 44 in the poll, with 290 graduating in 2011, and has remained in the top 50 on that poll for four years.

It ranked 14th for Family and Consumer Sciences majors.

Community College Week compiled the list using data certified by the U.S. Department of Education.

2012 Quick Facts – MGCCC’S Top-100 Rankings

· 4th in Education graduates
· 14th in Family and Consumer Sciences graduates
· 44th in African American graduates
· 53rd in Total Non-Minority graduates
· 59th Overall