TOMS RIVER, NJ — Ocean County College has been ranked second among all community colleges in New Jersey for online education in 2020. Rankings are compiled annually by Guide To Online Schools, a free and comprehensive compendium that enables students to compare all online college and university programs in the United States.
This news comes as OCC is providing fully remote, high quality, affordable instruction in all classes while the campus is closed due to the novel coronavirus crisis. However, even prior to the pandemic, the College’s e-Learning Department provided academically rich, engaging, and rewarding virtual educational experiences through the use of technology, innovation, and effective design.
OCC offers more than 150 online courses that give individuals of all ages the opportunity to earn their degree. Students may pursue an Associate of Applied Science in Business; an Associate of Arts in Global Studies; or an Associate of Science in Business Administration, Computer Science, Computer Science–Information Technology, Criminal Justice, Engineering, Environmental Science, General Studies, Homeland Security, Public Service, or Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism Management.
A number of student services are, and have been, available online as well, including financial aid; academic counseling; veteran affairs; and 24-hour, online tutoring via SmartThinking.
For its rankings, Guide To Online Schools considers all community colleges offering at least one online associate’s degree. Eligible schools were ranked according to their scores, and scores were calculated according to an internal formula that incorporates retention rate, online enrollment percentage, and the number of online associate’s degrees offered. (Some schools do not report retention rate, so for those schools, graduation rate was used instead. Graduation rate or retention rate was weighted most highly in order to ensure that the rankings highlight the schools whose students are most likely to earn a degree.)
Additional information about the standings is available at guidetoonlineschools.com.