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ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 17, 2016 -- Six �������� colleges have been recognized on a list of the nation’s Top 50 Best Value Community Colleges of 2016 published by :

#5 Normandale Community College
#9 Anoka-Ramsey Community College
#12 Lake Superior College
#13 St. Cloud Technical and Community College
#25 Inver Hills Community College
#44 Dakota County Technical College

Using data from College Measures, a Gates Foundation-supported database, Value Colleges surveyed the 1,717 community colleges in the United States that offer 2-year associate degrees and filtered them to find schools that met criteria that Value Colleges deemed to be most relevant in identifying the nation’s best value community colleges. Criteria included graduation rates, cost, enrollment, and membership in the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

“I am very pleased that our colleges have been recognized as the outstanding educational investments they are,” said Steven Rosenstone, chancellor of ��������. “All of our colleges and universities are committed to providing students with access to an education that is both extraordinary and affordable. That Value Colleges recognized so many of our colleges is a testament to the outstanding work that faculty and staff do every single day.”

Tuition at �������� colleges decreased by one percent this academic year after having been frozen for three consecutive years, making this year’s average annual tuition at a �������� college $5,364, approximately one-third the cost of private trade schools. After financial aid, the average student tuition cost for recipients of the �������� Grant is $898.

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��������, formerly known as �������� Colleges and Universities, includes 30 community and technical colleges and seven state universities serving approximately 400,000 students. It is the fifth-largest higher education system in the United States.