Anoka-Ramsey Community College

ARCC has an online school and a traditional campus college. There are two Minnesota locations where local students can study, one in Coon Rapids and another in Cambridge. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 50% of all undergraduate students are enrolled only in online courses, while 18% participate in some online learning while also studying on campus. 

ARCC is considered a good school partially because it has two top 10 rankings on OnlineU. It's ranked as the third-best online community college in Minnesota for the flexibility and quality of its online programs. ARCC is also featured on the top ten list of the best online community colleges in 2023. These rankings are based on comparing alumni salaries from different community colleges around the country. 

Employers will likely respect an applicant's degree if their alma mater is accredited. A school becomes accredited when a third-party agency completes a quality inspection of its programs and faculty. Anoka-Ramsey Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 

Every college featured by OnlineU is accredited. 

ARCC is best known for its Transfer Pathway programs that allow students to earn valuable credits which work toward bachelor's degrees at Minnesota universities. These programs are available to online students in English, business, and accounting. 

It's also known for its undergraduate research opportunities. As a member of the Council on Undergraduate Research, students at ARCC can engage in both independent research projects and research experiences in the classroom. Most of these opportunities are available in the field of natural science and require on-site participation. 

Completing a high earning degree can help maximize the benefits of attending community college, which is less expensive than traditional universities. According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, the highest earning degree at ARCC is its Associate of Science in Nursing, where graduates can expect to earn a median annual salary of ~$62,600. 

Although this degree isn't available online, students can still complete some high-earning programs 100% remotely. For example, the online Associate of Applied Science in Accounting Practitioner can earn graduates ~$41,600, while the online Associate of Applied Science in Business can earn ~$40,800. 

An alternative way to determine a degree's value at a given school is by considering OnlineU's Salary Score, which is a metric that compares alumni salaries from different schools using the same degree. On a scale of 1 to 100, ARCC received a score of 82 out of 100 for its associate degrees. 

College Scorecard shows ARCC with a 100% admissions rate. This means it has an open admissions policy and therefore accepts all students. It's also completely free to apply, which not only helps students save money on a college application but also helps decrease some of the financial barriers to higher education. Furthermore, ARCC has an open-door policy for Minnesota residents who graduated from an accredited high school. 

Applying to college at ARCC is a simple process with few requirements for first-year students. As mentioned, all Minnesota high school graduates are welcome to attend, but out-of-state students (except those from Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota) must have a 2.0 GPA from a postsecondary school to be accepted.

Additionally, all students must complete these two steps to apply:

• Fill out ARCC's online application.
• Submit high school transcripts or a GED certificate.