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Best 12 Community Colleges in CT in 2024

January 26, 2024 | Admin

Community colleges in CT

Is College For You?

Considering college is a daunting decision. Some students wonder if attending a traditional four-year college is the right choice. Here are some reasons why:

  • Tuition costs are skyrocketing. 
  • They work full-time and can’t commit to a four-year program. 
  • Uncertain what to major in or do professionally.
  • Desire a trade skill or workforce-ready degree.

If you answered yes to any of the above, here are five reasons you should consider community college. 

  • Cost. Community colleges are significantly cheaper than four-year institutions. If you are uncertain what to study, it’s better to “test the waters” financially speaking at a community college than at a major university. 
  • Timeframe. Two-years at a community college may be perfect for those looking to fast-track into the workforce. 
  • Flexibility. Most community colleges allow you to study at your own pace and offer evening, weekend, and online classes.
  • Smaller. Generally speaking, class size is smaller than in four-year schools, so students receive better one-on-one attention from teachers. 
  • Transferability. Credits earned at a community college can be transferred to a four-year university, saving students money and time.

Best 12 Community Colleges in CT

1

Naugatuck Valley Community College

  • Waterbury, Connecticut

Naugatuck Valley Community College is a mid-sized school with campuses in Waterbury and Danbury offering day, evening, weekend, and online classes. The school has approximately 5,000 students and offers courses in accounting, art, aviation Science, business administrative support, manufacturing, management, to name a few.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,516 (in-state), $13,468 (out-of-state)
Student to faculty ratio: 14:1
Visit School Website
2

Northwestern Connecticut Community College

  • Winsted, Connecticut

Northwestern Connecticut Community College is located in Winsted and is a small institution with approximately 1,200 part- and full-time students. NCCC offers studies in the arts & humanities, business, health & veterinary sciences, public service, social & behavioral sciences, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics).

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,476
Student to faculty ratio: 14:1
Visit School Website
3

Middlesex Community College

  • Middletown, Connecticut

Located in Middletown, Middlesex Community College offers over 70 degrees in business and hospitality, health career, humanities and creative art, manufacturing and applied technology, social and behavioral science, public services, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math). Middlesex serves over 4,000 students and offers online classes with satellite campuses in Meriden.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,596
Student to faculty ratio: 15:1
Visit School Website
4

Gateway Community College

  • New Haven, Connecticut

Gateway Community College is in New Haven and is the largest community college in Connecticut. Gateway offers a wide range of studies ranging from Culinary Arts, Business-Entrepreneurial Studies, Accounting, to Water Management Technology, to list a few. Gateway offers hybrid classes (in-class mixed with online) as well as evening and online classes. The school serves about 2,000 for-credit students each year, with an additional 10,000+ people taking advantage of GCC’s professional development and personal enrichment courses and certificates.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,476
Student to faculty ratio: 16:1
Visit School Website
5

Capital Community College

  • Hartford, Connecticut

As the name implies, Capital Community College is in Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. CCC is situated in an eleven-story, Art Deco building and has around 3,000 students. Capital Community College offers degrees in accounting, architectural engineering technology, communication media, construction management, general studies, medical assisting, and social service, to name a handful. As with most community colleges, daytime, evening, and online classes are available.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,596
Student to faculty ratio: 14:1
Visit School Website
6

Three Rivers Community College

  • Norwich, Connecticut

Three Rivers Community College, located in Norwich, has an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. TRCC offers various degrees in business, English and communications, humanities, mathematics, nursing and allied health, science, social sciences, and technologies. TRCC offers traditional classroom environments as well as hybrid (in-class with online classes) and online options.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,556
Student to faculty ratio: 16:1
Visit School Website
7

Asnuntuck Community College

  • Enfield, Connecticut

Asnuntuck Community College is located in Enfield, Connecticut but offers in-state rates to students living in Massachusetts as well. Asnuntuck offers 2-year degrees ranging from business administration and criminal justice to liberal arts and technology studies. They also have certificates in advanced welding, electronics technology. Classes for their over 1,300 students can be conveniently scheduled for the day, evening, weekend, and online.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,596
Student to faculty ratio: 15:1
Visit School Website
8

Housatonic Community College

  • Bridgeport, Connecticut

Housatonic Community College is located in Bridgeport and is home to over 4,000 for-credit students. Housatonic offers degrees in accounting, banking, business administration, fine arts, general studies, industrial design, paramedic studies, and surgical technologies, to name a few. They also offer certificates in business, computer information, early childhood development, math/science, to name a handful. HCC offers online classes as well as traditional classrooms.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,516
Student to faculty ratio: 16:1
Visit School Website
9

Manchester Community College

  • Manchester, Connecticut

Manchester Community College, located in Manchester, has around 2,000 students and offers degrees in business, computer game design, engineering technology, global studies, hotel-tourism management, web technology, to list a few. Manchester offers classes during the day, evening, weekends as well as online.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,516
Student to faculty ratio: 16:1
Visit School Website
10

Tunxis Community College

  • Farmington, Connecticut

Located in Farmington, Connecticut, Tunxis Community College has around 3,300 students and offers daytime, evening, weekend, and online classes. Tunxis offers degrees in advanced manufacturing, chemistry studies, liberal arts, dental hygiene, to list a few. Certificates may be earned for accounting, computer programming, marketing, and photography, to name a few.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,596
Student to faculty ratio: 16:1
Visit School Website
11

Quinebaug Valley Community College

  • Killingly, Connecticut

Quinebaug Valley Community College is located in Danielson and Willimantic and has over 50 associate degrees and certificates. Here is a small sample of degrees offered: Allied Health, Criminal Justice, Business, Technology Studies, Science, and Mathematics. Students from Massachusetts or Rhode Island may qualify for in-state tuition. Like most community colleges, VCC offers daytime, evening, weekend, and online classes. Over 1,500 credit and 2,000 non-credit students pass through each year.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,506
Student to faculty ratio: 18:1
Visit School Website
12

Norwalk Community College

  • Norwalk, Connecticut

Located in Norwalk in the New York City Area, Norwalk Community College has about 5,000 credit and non-credit students. Norwalk offers studies in: Art, Architecture and Design, Business, Humanities, Computer Science, Mathematics, Nursing/Allied Health, English, Science, and Social and Behavioral Science. Students may sign up for traditional classrooms or hybrid (in-class with online)/online classes.

School Overview

Annual yearly cost: $4,586
Student to faculty ratio: 18:1
Visit School Website

How We Ranked The Schools

We searched all of the community colleges in CT and ranked them based upon the following:

  • Yearly in-state tuition.
  • Student to faculty ratio. 

In the case of a tie we listed the schools in alphabetical order. We omitted technical schools to focus on institutions geared toward:

  1. College preparation
  2. Workforce training

All of the schools were ranked based upon the lowest tuition and lowest student to faculty ratio.

If you’re still unsure about what community college is best or have any other questions regarding colleges or degrees, please contact us for assistance.

Is Your School Misrepresented?

If you work for one of these community colleges in CT but found our data incorrect, please contact us to revise. 

Find the program that’s right for you

Whether you’re trying to start your career or make a big change, we can help you find the perfect school to help you reach your goals.

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