PAC tops list of best online community colleges in Texas

Four of the colleges of the Alamo Colleges District were recently ranked in the top ten on the list of 2019 Best Online Community Colleges in Texas by SR Education Group, a leading education research publisher.

Palo Alto College heads the list at number one, with Northwest Vista College at number six, San Antonio College at number seven, and St. Philip's College ranked ninth. Palo Alto College also was ranked number seven on the 2019 national list of best online community colleges.

"In our efforts to make a college education accessible to as many residents of our service area as possible, developing our online offerings plays a key role," said Alamo Colleges Chancellor Dr. Mike Flores. "We are proud to see four of our colleges recognized for their excellence in online programs and will continue to expand the programs we offer completely online so that more individuals can improve their economic well-being and that of their families and their community," he added.

This is the first year the SR Education Group has released online community college rankings by state. Each college received a score based on several important factors, including retention and graduation rates and percentage of online enrollment data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The number of online associate degrees offered was considered in the ranking score as well. The research group also conducted manual research to provide prospective students with more details about the colleges' online programs.

Since 75% of online college students live within 100 miles of their school's campus, the rankings are a valuable resource for prospective college students. This is especially true for prospective Alamo Colleges District students, because the district serves a large, eight-county area, and students may prefer to save time and money by completing their associate degree online rather than commuting long distances.

At the Alamo Colleges District, high quality education and affordable costs provide exceptional value to students and alumni who are major contributors to the economy and culture of our community. View the full list from SR Education Group.