“It has been pretty good. This is my first semester on campus since Covid. I’ve enjoyed it,” said Melissa Markunas, a 19-year old business major from Howell when discussing her experience at Brookdale Community College.

Intelligent.com, a website for program rankings of higher education planning, has ranked Brookdale Community College as one of the best community colleges in New Jersey. The research ranks top schools in the state on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for students.

On the final list, Brookdale Community College was awarded best partnerships. Most students at Brookdale are in associate degree programs that lead to transferring into a four-year school. The college offers  dual-degree programs with four-year institutions.

The college also has transfer agreements with colleges and universities worldwide. These agreements offer students benefits for transfer, including transfer scholarships, reduced tuition, admission fees waived and application fees waived.

Intelligent.com takes the information of tuition costs, the number of credits required to graduate, and the online coursework delivery format and then calculates the intelligent score on a scale of 0 to 100.

“My experience has been good. I enjoy my classes and learning. The campus is nice,” said Tim Larkin, a 29-year old music major from Barnegat when discussing his experience at Brookdale.

The colleges on the list are recognized by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Accreditation. This organization examines the challenges, quality, and effectiveness of education programs in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Studies from the Middle States Commission on higher education accreditation have shown that having a degree increases income and graduates earning 84% more than those with only high school diplomas or those without a completed GED.

Brookdale Community College was also acknowledged as the No. 1 community college in New Jersey on Niche’s 2023 list of best community colleges in the state of New Jersey.