FRCC, Aims ranks among 200 best online education providers in U.S. by Newsweek

Front Range and Aims community colleges were both ranked among the top 200 providers of online learning colleges in a new list compiled by Newsweek and database company Statista.

Front Range Community College, which has campuses in Fort Collins, Longmont and Denver, was ranked No. 109 on the list. Aims Community College, which has campuses in Greeley, Loveland, Windsor and Fort Lupton, was No. 145 on Newsweek’s 2023 list of America’s Best Online Learning Colleges.

“FRCC tailors our online classes to meet the specific needs of remote students,” said Rebecca Woulfe, the college’s vice president of academic affairs and online learning, in a news release. “And we’re one of the few community colleges that have dedicated online advisors and support staff specifically designated to work with our online students.”

Only 30 community colleges in the country made the rankings, and FRCC and Aims were two of just four Colorado colleges on the list. Adams State University in Alamosa was No. 95, and Colorado Christian University, with a main campus in Lakewood, was No. 132.

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Newsweek based its rankings on its own research about the institutions and an online survey of U.S. residents who have used online learning services to obtain an academic degree or acquire knowledge and skills for their job or hobbies.

The top 100 universities received five-star ratings, while the next 100 received four-star ratings. The University of Maryland, based in College Park, was No. 1.

More than 11,000 of FRCC’s students — more than 40% of the student body — take at least one class online in an average year, the school said. Aims officials said 36.7% of their students took at least one online class during the fall semeser, and 16.2% took all their courses online.

FRCC has been offering online learning since 1995 and has “been continually investing in improving our courses,” college President Colleen Simpson said in the news release. “All FRCC faculty receive significant training on how to make their teaching most effective for the online learning environment.”

Reporter Kelly Lyell covers educatiion and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com, twitter.com/KellyLyell or facebook.com/KellyLyell.news. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Front Range Community College, Aims rank among top 200 by Newsweek