February 18, 2026

East Mississippi Community College is listed among the top 30 in Niche’s “2026 Top Community Colleges in America.” The report also ranks EMCC No. 2 in “Best Colleges in Mississippi.”

The annual ranking is compiled from “key statistics and student reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education,” Niche’s website states.

EMCC earned an overall B-plus grade by Niche, with A or B grades in all areas, which include academics, value, diversity, campus, professors, location, student life and safety.

EMCC is only one of two Mississippi community colleges to break the top 30 in Niche’s “2026 Best Colleges in America”, with EMCC coming in at number 29 on the list of 673 colleges. Southwest Mississippi Community College narrowly edged out EMCC in for the top spot in the “Best Community Colleges in Mississippi” list with a Niche ranking of A-minus. 

Last November, EMCC was named among “America’s Top Vocational Schools” for 2025 by USA TODAY and Statista. The 250 educational institutions with the highest scores made the list, according to a press release by USA Today and Statista. 

EMCC is among 117 schools on the “America’s Top Vocational Schools” to earn a five-star rating, the highest achievable score. The remaining 133 schools on the list earned four stars. Those schools that earned fewer than four stars did not make the list. Only 10 percent of the schools reviewed earned a five-star rating, according to a methodology of the study by Statista.

“Although EMCC is a comparatively small school, we consistently rank high among the nation’s community colleges,” EMCC President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks said. “That is a testament to the dedication of our administrators, faculty, staff and board of trustees, who are devoted to serving our students and providing them with an excellent education at an affordable price.

EMCC was also ranked in the top half of colleges in the nation in SmartAsset’s “Best Community Colleges – 2025 Study,” coming in at No. 245 out of the list of 585 community colleges in the nation.

“Two-year colleges offering associate degrees were evaluated based on tuition and fees, student to faculty ratio, and retention rates for a holistic assessment of the student experience,” according to the SmartAsset study that was released Aug. 27.

In 2020, EMCC ranked 12^th in the nation by SmartAsset and placed in the Top 10 the four years prior to that. In 2019, the college placed No. 8 on SmartAsset’s list and ranked No. 5 in 2018, No. 3 in 2017 and No. 8 in 2016.

Data from SmartAsset’s 2025 study came from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for the 2023-24 school year.

Enrollment data for EMCC supports the positive rankings. EMCC’s preliminary head count for the spring term is 3,588 students, up from 3,523 students during the same time last year. This follows on the heels of nine consecutive semesters of growth in enrollment at EMCC. Enrollment is up equally at both the college’s Scooba and Golden Triangle campuses.

“We have made great strides not only in enrollment but also in student retention” EMCC Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success Dr. Nikita Ashford-Ashworth said. “The current student retention rate, based on IPEDS data for 2015-2025, is 66 percent, an increase from 64 percent in 2024. At EMCC, student engagement and student success are our priorities, which embody our mission of improving the quality of life for our students and our community. Here at EMCC, we are honored to serve our students and community, where opportunity happens.”

Since 2021, EMCC has placed an emphasis on student engagement, reaching out to students prior to the start of a new term to identify potential enrollment obstacles, while keeping in contact with them throughout the school year and helping if there are warning signs, such as an increase in absenteeism or a drop in grades.

EMCC hosts graduation ceremonies in May and December of each year and has experienced an increase in graduates. EMCC has experienced an increase in the number of graduates as a result of the growing enrollment numbers. The largest graduation ceremonies take place in the spring. Last May, 650 students applied for graduation, and in December 350 students applied for graduation.