College of the Canyons has been ranked among the top 15 best community and career colleges by salary potential in PayScale’s 2016-2017 College Salary Report.

The list ranks 381 two-year colleges across the nation by post-graduation earnings to help associate degree-seeking students make informed choices when selecting a college to attend. The list also allows students to compare the salaries of workers who graduated from other schools and graduated with an associate or bachelor’s degree.

“College of the Canyons is committed to preparing our students to enter the workforce with the education and skills they will need, and providing additional educational opportunities to remain competitive,” said Dr. Jerry Buckley, Assistant Superintendent and Vice President of Instruction at the college. “It is an honor to be included among the top 15 two-year colleges who produce graduates that enter high-earning jobs.”

According to the report, COC graduates were shown to earn $38,100 in early career pay and $64,600 in mid-career pay.

The rankings were created from data submitted by employees who completed the PayScale’s employee survey online for compensation. PayScale provides survey participants with a detailed compensation report regarding their value in the labor market.

The accompanying article mentioned that “public community colleges produce the highest earners” and “are usually the most affordable way to get a college education whether you want an AA or want to transfer to a 4-year school.”

PayScale is an online company that gathers salary information by allowing employees to submit salary and job data.

COC provides current and former students with numerous employment-related resources, such as student internships through the Cooperative Work Experience Education (CWEE) program and access to on-campus job fairs with a wide range of employers.