South Georgia Tech named the best Community College in Georgia

South Georgia Technical College was ranked as the Best Community College in Georgia for 2017 by Best Colleges in Georgia, announced South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. The rankings can be found at http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/best-colleges-in-georgia/#best-community-colleges-in-georgia. South Georgia Tech was ranked as the 6th best in the state in 2016 and moved up six places to the top position for 2017. “South Georgia Technical College has a tremendous reputation for providing an outstanding two-year education that prepares students for the workforce,” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “We are very pleased that Best Colleges in Georgia has ranked us as the top community college in Georgia for 2017. I am so proud of the work that has been accomplished by all of our faculty and staff at South Georgia Technical College. Being recognized with a top honor such as this only validates what we already believe about the level of quality and excellence in technical education that we provide.” BestColleges.com is a nationally recognized provider of college planning resources. The rankings methodology is based upon statistical data curated by the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES). Factors included academic quality, affordability, online competency, enrollment and graduation rates, and additional measures of positive student outcomes. These guides and rankings are designed to provide a comprehensive resource for college-bound men and women exploring academic options within the Peach State. “Schools featured in Best Colleges in Georgia rankings demonstrate a commitment to high-quality education for their students,” noted the Best Colleges in Georgia website. “Quality is measured and weighted through various data points that are specific to each ranking topic. Each methodology drives proprietary calculations, which are grounded in statistical information, and developed to recognize academically robust, affordable colleges and programs.” The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) with an enrollment of more than 26,000 students and more than 30 degree programs topped the list for the four-year colleges and universities. Their overall ranking score was 85.09. South Georgia Tech’s was 82.46 and the best among the two-year colleges. Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus was listed at 22nd in the four-year category with a 55.26 ranking. They were listed as 26th in 2016. The state of Georgia is home to more than 50 colleges and universities, including 30 schools under the University System of Georgia (USG), and 23 schools within the state’s technical college system. Notably, all but three of the top 25 two-year schools in Georgia are a technical college that is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). Georgia Military College is a non-TCSG college and it was listed as 12th. The other two non-TCSG colleges earning a listing were: Georgia Perimeter College at 13th and Andrew College at 19th. Georgia is home to 22 different colleges under the banner of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) as well as many community colleges specializing in military and fine arts programs. Higher education is valuable everywhere, but particularly in Georgia, where the number of jobs requiring a degree exceeds the supply of college graduates. As of 2011, only 34% of adults in Georgia held an associate’s degree or higher; the state estimates that 61% of local jobs will require a degree by 2020. According to the U.S. Department of Education, graduates from the top two-year schools in Georgia stand to earn a higher salary than adults without college experience. “South Georgia Technical College is an excellent choice for an individual that is interested in finding the career of a lifetime. We offer over 200 different associate degree, diploma, or technical certificate of credit programs that individuals can choose from,” said Dr. Watford. Partnerships with industry leaders such as Caterpillar, John Deere, Georgia Power and others have helped the college to earn world-wide recognition in graduating students in heavy equipment technology while also taking advantage of the complete college experience including on-campus housing, a full-service cafeteria, men’s and women’s basketball, intramural sports, and clubs and student organizations. The college also highlights particularly successful students through its Student of Excellence program and by participation in the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL). South Georgia Technical College is currently registering students for summer semester. Classes begin June 1st. There are registration and orientation sessions planned for April 13th and May 31st where students can apply, enroll, and choose their classes for summer semester. Fall semester begins August 14th. To apply or for more information contact the SGTC admissions office at 229-931-2394 in Americus or 229-271-4040 for the Crisp County Center campus.