Out of the 25 institutions ranked, all four Illinois Eastern Community Colleges ranked on the list with FCC ranking number one, Wabash Valley College ranking number three, Olney Central College ranking number six, and Lincoln Trail College ranking number seven.

According to BestColleges.com,"The community college system in Illinois is the third largest of its kind in the world with more students enrolled in it than any other higher education sector in Illinois. As a result, there are a lot of quality academic programs to choose from, which has created much competition between these institutes in the state," says Stephanie Snider, General Manager at BestColleges.com. "As the number one community college in Illinois, Frontier Community College demonstrates that it provides a superior education program that provides meaningful learning opportunities for prospective students at an affordable cost."

"We're very pleased to be recognized as the best community college in Illinois by BestColleges.com. Though we are relatively small we pride ourselves in providing our students exceptional learning experiences and unmatched customer service. Our high graduation rate is indicative of student satisfaction and, along with our IECC sister colleges, we're the best bang for your tuition buck of any publically funded higher educational institution in Illinois!" stated Frontier Community College President Dr. Jay Edgren.   

Selections are based on statistical data compiled from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and College Navigator, both of which are hosted by the National Center for Education Statistics. They aim to objectively assess relative quality based on academic outcomes, affordability, and the breadth and depth of online learning opportunities.

BestColleges.com partners with HigherEducation.com to provide students with direct connections to schools and programs suiting their education goals. They also assist prospective students in finding the school that best meets their needs through proprietary research, user-friendly guides and hundreds of unique college rankings.