Rowan College of South Jersey (Vineland)
As the state's newest regional college, Rowan College of South Jersey was created in 2019 with the merger of Cumberland County College and Rowan College at Gloucester County. The school consists of the Cumberland Campus in Vineland and the Gloucester Campus in Sewell. It offers more than 120 degree and certificate programs.
Associate degrees and career training aren't the only programs offered at this South Jersey institution, either. The Shirlee and Bernard Brown University Center makes a wide range of bachelor's and master's programs available through partnerships with four-year schools like Seton Hall University, Montclair State University and Wilmington University.
Popular programs at RCSJ include a certificate in alcohol and drug counseling and an associate degree in justice studies. Some classes may be available online.
Rowan College at Burlington County (Pemberton Township)
At Rowan College in Burlington County, the concept of community college extends well beyond campuses and two-year programs. Formerly known as Burlington County College, RCBC changed its name in 2015 to signify a new partnership with Rowan University that brought RU faculty and degree programs to the Mount Laurel campus.
What's more, the distance education catalog at RCBC qualifies it for consideration among the best online community colleges in New Jersey. Over a dozen associate degree programs are available fully online, and many other programs can be at least partially completed through online courses.
RCBC also broke new ground in 2016 by offering a special program to transfer-bound students. The 3+1 option helps students cut costs by completing their junior years at RCBC before transferring to Rowan University or another 4-year school.
Raritan Valley Community College (Branchburg)
Raritan Valley Community College connects students with cutting-edge learning technology and some of the more unique degree and certificate programs in the state. Nearly 8,000 students attended courses here, pursuing their choice of the more than 90 college majors and career-focused certificate plans available.
The catalog at RVCC contains a number of specialized programs and transfer degrees that are suitable for a variety of career paths. Program options are diverse and include associate degrees in environmental control technology and psychosocial rehabilitation. More than 150 courses are offer online each semester, and the college has three fully online programs and a number of associate degrees that can be completed 85 percent online.
RVCC also hosts such distinguished cultural institutions as the Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Paul Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Social Justice. These and other institutes on campus produce annual events and provide vital resources for cultural education.
Bergen Community College (Paramus)
Bergen Community College is one of the most highly attended NJCCC institutions. Attendance in its academic programs reaches nearly 17,000 annually, and the combined total enrollment in all degree, continuing education and adult education classes at its Paramus, Hackensack and Lyndhurst campuses tops out at more than 32,000 students.
BCC maintains four academic divisions: humanities; business, arts and social sciences; health professions; and mathematics, science and technology. More than 140 degree and certificate programs are available for students to choose from, including several Associate of Science (A.S.) and A.A. plans designed for university transfer.
Several online degrees, of which most serve to prepare students for transfer to a four-year program, are also available at BCC. The online catalog includes five A.S. concentrations in business administration, five A.A concentrations in the liberal arts and an A.A. with a general liberal arts curriculum.
Ocean County College (Toms River)
Named one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation by the Aspen Institute, Ocean County College offers academic excellence at an affordable price. The school has been educating New Jersey students for more than 40 years and offers approximately 60 majors in its degree and certificate programs.
The academic programs at OCC are spread across four schools: arts and humanities, business and social science, nursing and health sciences and science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Twenty programs are offered entirely online including an associate degree in business and a legal secretary certificate.
OCC has a Center for Student Success which has a focus on helping first-year students have a positive college experience. The center offers tutoring, mentoring and academic coaching, and students can also take a three-credit College Success Seminar.
Camden County College (Blackwood)
Camden County College is one of the larger institutions among the best New Jersey community colleges, boasting total enrollment of nearly 10,000 students annually. Along with its main campus in Blackwood, CCC maintains satellite campus locations in Camden and Cherry Hill and trains police, fire and corrections personnel at its Regional Emergency Training Center.
More than 120 individual programs of study in over a dozen areas of interest are available at CCC, including numerous career-based certificate plans in business, manufacturing, automotive technology and healthcare. Exploratory programs in liberal arts and science are available for aspiring transfer students.
CCC also has options for students looking for online colleges. Three associate degrees — business administration, psychology and a general Associate of Arts (A.A.) plan — can be earned entirely online, and more than 30 programs require five or fewer brick-and-mortar courses.
Middlesex County College (Edison)
Small classes, affordable tuition and in-demand programs help make Middlesex County College one of the best community colleges in New Jersey. More than 11,000 students are enrolled at the college, and they have an average age of 23. Diversity is embraced at MCC with minority students making up more than 60 percent of those enrolled.
MCC offers 90 associate degrees and certificates, and its most popular majors include STEM, business and liberal arts fields of study. Specific options include an accounting certificate of achievement, an associate degree in automotive technology and transfer degrees in majors ranging from cinema studies to criminal justice. Some courses are available online.
Founded in 1964, MCC has its campus in Edison and centers in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy.
Mercer County Community College (West Windsor)
Mercer County Community College serves an international corps of more than 11,000 students each year, with nearly 70 countries represented in its student body. Students here share their college experience with peers of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, which tends to provide a richer and more well-rounded learning environment.
Campus-based students at MCCC can attend courses at the institution's 292-acre West Windsor Campus or its newly expanded James Kerney campus in downtown Trenton. It's also entered the world of online colleges in New Jersey, offering three fully online associate degree programs and close to 100 individual online courses.
On top of that, the MCCC University Center lets students earn advanced degrees without transferring their credits to four-year institutions. Baccalaureate and graduate degrees are available on-site from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute of Technology and more.
Atlantic Cape Community College (Mays Landing)
Atlantic Cape Community College likes to say it's where excellence meets affordability. With a history that dates to 1964, it was the second community college founded in the state. Today, it enrolls 8,000 credit students in more than 45 transfer and career programs.
The college is known for its Academy of Culinary Arts which offers three associate degrees, two certificates and an entry-level baking and pastry training program. Atlantic Cape also has a nationally recognized Casino Career Institute that provides training for anyone who want to work in the gaming industry as a Certified Surveillance Professional.
As the first community college in New Jersey to offer a fully online degree program, Atlantic Cape offers more than ten online associate degrees today. These cover majors such as business administration, education and psychology.
County College of Morris (Randolph)
County College of Morris first opened its doors in 1968 to an initial class of fewer than 1,300 learners. Today, more than 7,500 students attend this North Jersey school, and more than 1,000 associate degrees and certificates are awarded each year.
The 17:1 student-faculty ratio at CCM is among the lowest at top New Jersey community colleges, providing a learning environment in which professors are usually able to spend personalized time with students who need it. The academic catalog here lists more than 80 degree and certificate programs, ranging from mathematics and dance to grounds maintenance and computer science.
Students looking for a little extra challenge in their college courses may appreciate the Honors Study program at CCM. Courses in the program are smaller, have a higher level of difficulty and qualify students for select academic excellence scholarships.
