Cerritos College ranked as one of nation’s best junior colleges

NORWALK - Cerritos College has added another top honor to its portfolio, ranking 11th among the nation’s best community colleges for 2022.

The college was named No. 1 for Best Value Accounting Associate Degree School in California and 7th in the US for the highest Hispanic Enrollment in 2021, and Equity Champion of Higher Education in 2020.

The College Consensus Best Community Colleges rankings feature only accredited community colleges and technical colleges.

The rankings combine community college rankings from Wallet Hub, Niche, and Grad Reports. This methodology gives prospective students a sense of how real graduates view the value of their community college experience, according to College Consensus.

Cerritos College marked another year of record-breaking graduation and completion rates over seven consecutive years through innovative programs. The college is well-known for its Students-First approach, catering to the needs of first-generation students from underrepresented backgrounds.

To increase educational access and success, the campus applies its Caring Campus philosophy to offer holistic support services to meet students’ basic needs.

The college’s innovative programs include Cerritos Complete, the campus’ official California College Promise program, which provides two years of free tuition to high school seniors. Cerritos Complete is the 2018 recipient of the Examples of Excelencia Award. The program was also named a national top 10 finalist for the prestigious Bellwether Award in 2018.

In March 2022, Cerritos College launched its new discounted Metro GoPass for students. The campus also opened The Falcon’s Nest, a network of resources that supports students, including a free campus food pantry with an assortment of healthy, fresh food and vegetables.

The Falcon’s Nest offers clothing, hygiene support, emergency aid resources, and housing resources, including The Village, California’s first community college housing project exclusively for homeless students.

“This recognition is a testament to the tireless work of our dedicated faculty and staff, and especially to the hard work of our students,” said president and superintendent Dr. Jose Fierro. “We will continue to develop policies and implement innovative programs that put the needs of our students first.”