Columbus State First in Ohio
for Granting Associate Degrees

  Columbus State Community College is the No. 1 college in Ohio for granting associate degrees according to a report from Community College Week.
For the 2002-03 academic year, 1,440 students graduated with associate degrees from Columbus State, ranking 44th in the nation and first in the state. Last year Columbus State ranked 47th in the nation.
Cuyahoga Community College ranks 47th in the nation, after granting 1,390 associate degrees in 2002-03, and Sinclair Community College in Dayton ranks 71st, with 1,199 associate degrees granted.
“Columbus State has grown substantially over the past several years,” said President Valeriana Moeller, “and we are very proud that our students are succeeding and graduating in record numbers. Columbus State is making a major impact on the lives of our students and on the economic success of our community.”

Number of Associate Degree Graduates Expected to Grow
  Employment for Ohio associate degree graduates is expected to grow by 23.1 percent over the next decade—more than double the 11.0 percent average projected for all occupations during the period—according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
In the Community College Week rankings, which were compiled from U.S. Department of Education data, Columbus State ranked second in Ohio in granting associate degrees to African Americans (56th nationally) and first in the state in granting associate degrees to non-minorities (30th nationally).
In a number of specific categories measured in the report, Columbus State’s programs rank among the best in the nation for the number of graduates, topped by the area of Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies, in which Columbus State ranks first in the nation. Other highly ranked programs at Columbus State include:
   • Health Professions and Related Clinical Services: second in Ohio and 18th nationally.
   • Engineering-Related Technologies: second in Ohio and 25th nationally.
   • Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services: second in Ohio and 44th ___nationally.
   • Education: third in Ohio and 50th nationally.

Associate Degrees In High Tech Fields Are In Demand
  According to the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, 83 percent of all workers with associate degrees earn the same as workers with bachelor's degrees. Because a large number of associate degree graduates work in high-demand, high-paying fields such as engineering and health, their salaries often exceed those of bachelor’s degree graduates. In fact, the annual average salary for 2002 Ohio associate degree graduates six months after their graduation was $33,224. The comparable salary for baccalaureate degree graduates of Ohio four-year universities was $32,481.
Columbus State Community College serves more than 23,000 students with 2-year degree and certificate programs in more than 40 career fields.