Sep 25, 2013 02:33 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Community colleges and technical schools are a great way to start an academic career post-high school because of low costs and a wide availability of academic fields.

Community colleges serve a wide range of purposes, like getting general education courses out of the way or earning a spot at a larger university. For certain career fields, all that is required is a two-year degree, often achievable at a community college.

Community colleges will likely play a role in the Obama Administration's plan to keep college affordable and accessible to all. In the proposal is a rating system that will take tuition and fees into account and compare them to factors like graduation rate and enrollment.

The system, met with mixed reactions, could be implemented by 2018 after it is drafted, finalized and tested. Community colleges figure to play a key role in higher education reform because they are affordable and help people enter the workforce with less debt or help propel students to bigger schools with a better chance for a scholarship or grant.

Here are Bankrate's top ten community colleges, based on its own criteria.

10. Colby Community College - Colby, Kansas

• 10:1 student-faculty ratio
• 97 percent of full-time first time student receive scholarships or grants.
• Avg. cost per year: $2,944 (in-state, after fees)

9. Mayland Community College - Spruce Pine, N.C.

            • 9:1 student-faculty ratio

            • 27 academic and technical programs

            • Avg. cost per year: $2,288

8. Charlotte Technical Center - Port Charlotte, Fla.

            • 7:1 student-faculty ratio

            • About 85 percent of graduates find work within a year after graduation

            • Avg. cost per year: $3,336 (in-state)

7. North Central Kansas Technical College - Beloit, Kansas

            • 24 technical programs

            • 81 percent of enrollees graduate at this two-year institution within three years, well above the national average of 20 percent

            • 10:1 student-faculty ratio

6. Linn State Technical College - Linn, Mo.

            • 95 percent job-placement rate

            • Strong ties to local businesses and out-of-state employers

            • Avg. cost per year: $4,470 (in-state)

5. White Mountains Community College - Berlin, N.H.

            • Close partner to Dartmouth and UNH

            • Avg. cost per year: $6,720 (in-state)

            • Highly effective teaching program

4. Flint Hills Technical College - Emporia, Kasas

            • 70 percent of learning experience is "hands on"

            • 94 percent of grads find work or continue education

            • Strong local business ties

3. Altamaha Technical College - Jessup, Ga.

            • Avg. cost per year: $2,100

            • 12:1 student-faculty ratio

            • 97 percent of first-time full-time students receive financial aid

2. Erwin Technical Center - Tampa, Fla.

            • 92 percent of nursing majors pass licensure exam with an 80 percent job placement rate

            • $2,804 (in-state)

            • "Hands on" learning experience

1. East San Gabriel Regional Occupational Program - West Covina, Calif.

• 100 percent first-time full-time students receive financial aid
• As high as a 90 percent job placement rate
• Strong ties to community small businesses

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