(Butler, PA) Butler County Community College, which this year received the largest financial gift in its history, opened two state-of-the-art learning facilities and marked the 10th anniversary of an additional location established to serve students in Pennsylvania counties under-represented by higher education, has been ranked as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania for the ninth time since 2015.
BestColleges.com analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education and considered factors such as academic quality, affordability and online competency in picking BC3 as the top accredited community college in the state in 2023.
BC3 and the nine other institutions in BestColleges.com’s Top 10 in 2023 are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, a global institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education since 1952.
BC3 was also selected as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania for 2023 and for 2022 by Niche; in 2022, 2020 and in 2017 by BestColleges.com; and in 2019, 2017 and 2015 by Schools.com.
“When I apply to the jobs I want, BC3 will be on my resume. I can be proud that I went to the nine-time No. 1-ranked community college.”
“BC3 has been on this nine-time winning streak,” said Terence Rice, 21, an accounting student at BC3 @ Lawrence Crossing in New Castle. “It’s impressive. It really is.”
“It makes me proud,” said Elizabeth Tracy, 22, of Cranberry Township, and a health care science student at BC3 @ Cranberry in Cranberry Township. “It’s important to me because I know I am at a school that actually cares about their students and puts forth so much effort into helping them to succeed.”
“When I apply to the jobs I want, BC3 will be on my resume,” said Collin Jacobson, 19, a business management student at BC3 @ Brockway in Brockway, an additional location that in July celebrated its 10th anniversary of serving students in Clarion, Clearfield, Elk and Jefferson counties.
“I can be proud that I went to the nine-time No. 1-ranked community college.”
“Universities, the bigger they are, the less connected they usually are with their students. Smaller community colleges like BC3 are able to connect to their students so much more. If you are struggling with anything, your teachers are right there to help you. It just feels like a supportive environment.”
“It all starts in the classroom”
BestColleges.com publishes information to help students make educational decisions and find schools that best fit their needs through proprietary research, guides and college rankings.
“To consistently rank highly with BestColleges is a strong indicator that a college will provide high-quality education at a great value,” said Danika Miller, BestColleges editor. “A top-ranked school has a variety of programs, positive student outcomes, financial aid opportunities and support for students as they move on to their next step.”
“It all starts in the classroom,” added Dr. Nick Neupauer, BC3’s president since 2007 and the longest-serving chief executive officer in the 58-year history of western Pennsylvania’s first community college. “And that excellence in the classroom, in a teaching institution that is student-centered, is at the core of all of our successes.”
Joseph E. Kubit is a Butler County judge, chairman of BC3’s board of trustees and a 1984 graduate of BC3.
“Being recognized, once again, as Pennsylvania’s No. 1 community college is truly an honor,” Kubit said. “It is also a testament to the skill and dedication of the faculty, administration and staff to seeing to it that students at BC3 receive a high-quality, affordable education.”
BC3 in August received its first $3 million gift, which college officials said will benefit students. The contribution to the BC3 Education Foundation from the estate of former state Sen. Tim Shaffer is the seventh of at least $1 million in the past nine years.
The college opened the 15,000-square-foot BC3 @ Armstrong facility in March in Ford City, and the 25,000-square-foot Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building in August on its main campus.
“Teachers are very personable”
Nearly 52 percent of BC3’s students as of Aug. 31 were enrolled in associate degree transfer programs, according to Sharla Anke, the college’s assistant dean of institutional research and planning.
About 48 percent were enrolled in programs in which they can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation, such as associate degree career programs and certificate or workplace certificate programs.
BC3’s student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1 and the lowest of the nine other institutions in BestColleges.com’s Top 10 in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.
“Universities, the bigger they are, the less connected they usually are with their students. Smaller community colleges like BC3 are able to connect to their students so much more,” said Veronica Lenzi, 19, of West Middlesex, Mercer County, a general studies student at BC3 @ LindenPointe in Hermitage.
“If you are struggling with anything, your teachers are right there to help you. It just feels like a supportive environment.”
Rocco Spadafora, 18, is a business administration student on BC3’s main campus.
“I already knew that the education at BC3 would be really good to set me up for the future,” he said. “The teachers are very personable to every single student. They care about every single student individually.”
“It’s almost been too perfect, with the cost savings …”
Students who attend a community college for their first two years can save an estimated $20,000 on the cost of higher education, according to the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges, of which BC3 is a member.
BC3’s $5,328 average net price in 2021-2022 was the lowest of the nine other institutions in BestColleges.com’s Top 10 in 2023, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
The lowest average net price in 2021-2022 for Pennsylvania residents attending regional public four-year universities was $17,873, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
“Since I have been at BC3, it’s almost been too perfect, with the cost savings and the quality of education,” said Rice, of BC3 @ Lawrence Crossing.
“I know some people who are in a good bit of debt,” said Connor Cigola, 19, a general studies student at BC3 @ Armstrong who plans to graduate debt-free from BC3, as did 75 percent of the college’s Class of 2023.
“They don’t know how they are going to pay it off.”
The college’s Education Foundation in 2022-2023 awarded a record $281,000 in scholarships to BC3 students and this year has a record 155 named financial awards available.
Only residents of seven other states have average monthly student-loan payments higher than do Pennsylvanians with $216.38, according to an April 5 report by LendEDU, a website that provides comparisons for loans, credit cards and other financial products.
BC3’s new virtual programs “solid option”
A record 345 fall students – and an increase of 29 percent from 10 years ago – are taking only online courses at BC3. The college this fall debuted virtual associate degree transfer and career programs, and certificate or workplace certificate programs that are instructed by BC3 faculty.
“The new virtual programs now provide a solid option for students who may not live near a BC3 location or have transportation issues, and allows them to take advantage of the quality programs that BC3 offers in a fully online format,” said Ann McCandless, the college’s dean of educational technology.
Amelia Miller, 18, of Butler, works 20 hours a week and is enrolled this fall in the college’s new virtual associate degree program in psychology.
“It definitely saves me time,” Miller said. “I can do my schoolwork really any time during the day and not have to worry about rushing from college to get to work.”
BC3 will hold fall open houses from Oct. 10 to Nov. 15. Prospective students can RSVP at bc3.edu/open-house
Following BC3 in BestColleges.com’s 2023 rankings were No. 2, Bucks County Community College, Newtown; No. 3, Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell; No. 4, Northampton County Area Community College, Bethlehem; No. 5, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, Johnstown; No. 6, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Schnecksville; No. 7, Mercyhurst University-North East Campus; No. 8, Community College of Beaver County, Monaca; No. 9, Luzerne County Community College, Nanticoke; No. 10, Delaware County Community College, Media.
