College of the Canyons has been ranked nationally No. 22 and 26 in The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine for enrolling the largest number of Hispanic students and granting the most degrees, respectively.

The magazine rankings for the Top 100 Community Colleges for Hispanics were based on the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data for community colleges granting the most associate degrees in 2018-2019.

According to the data, the college had a headcount of 10,004 Hispanic students totaling 48 percent of the total student enrollment, which was 20,850 during 2018- 2019.

That same academic year, of the 2,822 associate degrees awarded by the college, 1,249 degrees were awarded to Hispanic students.

“We take great pride in the fact that our college reflects the diversity of the communities we serve,” said College of the Canyons Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook. “Higher education is a social justice issue, so we are passionately committed to removing any roadblocks for our students as they work toward reaching their goals.”

According to COC data, there has been a 52 percent increase in the number of Hispanic students who were awarded a degree between 2016 and 2019.

Many Hispanic students attending COC have benefited from the college’s innovative programs, such as the Canyons Promise program, which gives incoming students the tools and resources they need to transition smoothly into college life.

Of the 3,305 students the program has served since its launch in 2017, 53 percent of students are Hispanic.

The program provides increased opportunities for new full-time college students to achieve their educational goals by waiving tuition and fees during their first year of study.

Students who maintain the program’s requirements may have their Canyons Promise benefits extended to their second year of study.

Accepted students enroll in a one-year sequence of courses with priority registration, preceded by a week-long summer boot camp to learn skills needed to be a successful college student.

Canyons Promise courses are offered with the benefits of free Open Educational Resources to use as textbooks, peer mentors, and other learning community elements. To ensure students remain on track, ongoing counseling and student support is also offered.

The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine’s annual ranking is based on total student enrollment, the percentage of Hispanic students in attendance, two-year schools awarding the most associate degrees to Hispanic students, and the percentage of associate degrees to Hispanic students by two-year schools.

For more information about the Hispanic Outlook on Education magazine’s rankings, please visit the magazine’s website.