February 25, 2022
Suffolk County Community College has been named one of the “2019-2020 Top 10 2-Year Schools by Region” and is the top SUNY institution for Hispanic students in rankings published by Hispanic Outlook on Education magazine.
The magazine reported that community college students “are often first-generation students, full- and part-time workers, single parents and minorities – with the best opportunities to improve their skills and advance their careers.”
The rankings are based on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), surveys conducted annually by the US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and data from all 50 states.
Suffolk County Community College fosters an environment that honors, respects and embraces students of all backgrounds,” said Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Edward Bonahue. “I am proud of the diversity of our student body and we will continue to welcome every student. Whether families have just arrived in Suffolk County or are first- or second-generation residents, the college provides our community's best and easiest path to English language instruction, workforce training or traditional college courses.”
“Latino/Hispanic students serve as important role models and leaders throughout the college, for example, within student government, clubs and organizations, as peer mentors and orientation leaders. As a newly designated Hispanic Serving Foundation, Suffolk is committed to ensuring the success and achievement of Latinx students while creating inclusive and meaningful opportunities for them to be reflected in our learning environment,” said Christina Vargas, its Community College Chief Diversity Officer Suffolk County.
The top four community colleges that grant associate degrees to Hispanic/Latino students in the Northeast are:
- CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
- CUNY LaGuardia Community College
- CUNY Bronx Community College
- Suffolk County Community College
Hispanic-serving institutions are defined as nonprofit institutions of higher education that have a full-time undergraduate population that is at least 25% Hispanic.
The number of Hispanic students enrolled in college nationwide between fall 2009 and fall 2019 increased 48 percent from 2.4 million to 3.5 million students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
This press release was created by Suffolk County Community College. The views expressed here are the author's own.
