Best Community Colleges in CT
If you’re looking to attend college in Connecticut but don’t want to spend a small fortune on tuition, you came to the right place. There are tons of great community colleges in CT that won’t break the bank.
After publishing a review of all the top traditional colleges in Connecticut, I realized it made sense to do the same for community colleges. So without further ado, these are the best community colleges in Connecticut.
Top Community Colleges in Connecticut
1. Asnuntuck Community College
Asnuntuck Community College is one of the best community colleges in the state. This college offers a range of affordable courses and degrees in a variety of fields, including business, healthcare, creative arts, manufacturing, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, & math).
The school also has the best graduation rate of any community college in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Tuition for Connecticut residents is just over $4,000 a year. You can find this Connecticut community college in Enfield.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,772 (in-state) / $14,172 (out-of-state)
- Location: Enfield, CT
2. Manchester Community College
Manchester Community College is an open-admission college that has approximately 7,000 students a semester, making it one of the largest community colleges in the state.
They offer more than 75 different degrees and certificates in areas of study like accounting, computer science, criminal justice, engineering technology, psychology, and marketing. Tuition and fees at this public community college total about $5,000 for in-state students and $14,000 for out-of-state students.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,700 (in-state) / $14,100 (out-of-state)
- Location: Manchester, CT
3. Naugatuck Valley Community College
Naugatuck Valley Community College is another large school in Connecticut. The community college boasts a student body of nearly 5,000 when including both full-time and part-time students.
The college offers an array of degrees and certificates in fields like automotive, business administration, cybersecurity, engineering, philosophy, theater, and general studies to name a few. In-state tuition prices are about $4,500 per year.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,424 (in-state) / $13,192 (out-of-state)
- Location: Waterbury, CT
4. Charter Oak State College
Charter Oak State College is located right next to Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. While this isn’t technically a community college, it’s a 100% online school, so it basically falls into the community college category.
You can get an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree at the school. The academic programs include fields like business administration, nursing, social work, and early childhood education. In-state tuition costs about $8,000, while non-resident tuition is roughly $11,000.
- Tuition & Fees: $8,000 (in-state) / $11,000 (out-of-state)
- Location: New Britain, CT
5. Capital Community College
Capital Community College is a public college in Hartford, Connecticut. The school’s curriculum offers 60 degrees and certificates with classes both online and in-person. The class schedule is designed to accommodate students with busy schedules.
An array of programs are offered in the business, technology, health, science, and social fields. A full-time student here can expect to pay roughly $5,000 if they live in Connecticut, and about $14,000 if they reside in another state.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,820 (in-state) / $14,220 (out-of-state)
- Location: Hartford, CT
6. Housatonic Community College
Housatonic Community College is a large community college in Bridgeport. The school has an award-winning faculty and staff that care about student success.
This community college can grant associate’s degrees, which makes it perfect for students looking to transfer to a larger university after 2 years. The tuition for Connecticut students is about $4,500, while non-resident students have to pay $13,000.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,596 (in-state) / $13,548 (out-of-state)
- Location: Bridgeport, CT
7. Gateway Community College
Gateway Community College is a popular community college located in New Haven. With student enrollment totaling over 7,000, this is currently the biggest CT community college.
The academic program at the school includes courses like graphic design, sports management, computer engineering, exercise science, nursing, and aviation maintenance technology. Like most of the public community colleges in the state, tuition hovers around $4,700.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,700 (in-state) / $14,100 (out-of-state)
- Location: New Haven, CT
8. Northwestern Connecticut Community College
Northwestern Connecticut Community College is among the smallest schools in the state with a student body of fewer than 1,500 undergraduates. The academic program here features studies in areas like data science, finance, massage therapy, and architecture.
Tuition for the fall academic calendar costs $2,350 and the spring semester is the same, so expect to pay about $4,700 a year if you’re a Connecticut resident. This is the best community college in CT to attend if you live in Litchfield County since the campus is local.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,700 (in-state) / $14,100 (out-of-state)
- Location: Winsted, CT
9. Middlesex Community College
Middlesex Community College (MxCC) can be found in the south-central district of Connecticut. Located in Middletown, the school offers affordable education with small class sizes so that the professors and faculty can give more personalized attention.
If you take a full 12-credit course load, expect to pay $4,700 (in-state) or $14,100 (out-of-state). The college does offer financial aid, so the net price may end up being lower than that. If you live near the center of the state, this is a good school to attend.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,700 (in-state) / $14,100 (out-of-state)
- Location: Middletown, CT
10. Norwalk Community College
Norwalk Community College is one of Connecticut’s community colleges found in Fairfield County. The academic program here offers a number of different career paths including art, agriculture, engineering, and behavioral sciences.
It’s one of the larger CT community colleges with an enrollment of around 5,000 students. Tuition and fees total about $5,000 for an in-state student and about $14,000 for an out-of-state student.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,810 (in-state) / $14,220 (out-of-state)
- Location: Norwalk, CT
11. Quinebaug Valley Community College
Quinebaug Valley Community College is Connecticut’s community college in Windham County. The school offers a variety of degrees in business, manufacturing, medical assistance, environmental science, and liberal arts.
The cost to attend Quinebaug Valley Community College is roughly $5,000 if you live in-state and $13,500 if you live out-of-state. However, if you’re a student from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or New York (or an international student), you can take advantage of the in-state rates.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,740 (in-state) / $13,458 (out-of-state)
- Location: Danielson, CT
12. Tunxis Community College
Tunxis Community College is one more community college located in central Connecticut. The school’s curriculum features many classes in areas of study like automotive, accounting, language, chemistry, dental hygiene, exercise science, and energy technology.
The tuition is very similar to the other community colleges in Connecticut, charging about $5,000 for in-state students and $14,000 for out-of-state students.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,820 (in-state) / $14,220 (out-of-state)
- Location: Farmington, CT
13. Three Rivers Community College
Three Rivers Community College is the final college on this list. This is one of the Connecticut community colleges found in the southeastern part of the state in New London County. Areas of study here include biology, business, criminal justice, marketing, and electrical engineering. Online degrees are available here.
In-state tuition is about $5,000, while out-of-state is about $14,000 (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York residents get in-state rates). Residents of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, may qualify for a 50% discount on out-of-state tuition because of the New England Board of Higher Education.
- Tuition & Fees: $4,820 (in-state) / $14,220 (out-of-state)
- Location: Norwich, CT
CT Community Colleges – Final Thoughts
That’s every community college in Connecticut. Out of all of CT’s community colleges, it’s difficult to say which one is the best. They all have solid academics and very high acceptance rates.
My recommendation is to attend the campus that’s closest to you. However, each school offers different courses and on-campus activities, so check out each college’s website for more information.
