(LINCROFT, NJ) -- Brookdale Community College ranks in the top 3% of Community Colleges in the United States for 2021 by AcademicInfluence.com. A two-year community college associate degree has never been a better route to a four-year college bachelor’s degree than it is today.

“In higher education, we have opportunities to learn, research, teach, shape the future of our academic disciplines, and influence the larger world.  This honor is a tribute to the faculty and staff of Brookdale Community College for the scholarly work they do with passion every day,” said Dr. David Stout, Brookdale Community College President.

AcademicInfluence.com criteria for the schools in this ranking included a minimum of 1,000 enrolled students, full accreditation, and exclusively two-year (or associate) degree programs. They state in their 50 Best Community Colleges of 2021 release, “the best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges offer a broad selection of associate degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.”

Brookdale Community College offers one of the best transfer programs in the nation. They maintain formal agreements with many Universities, as well as close ties and pathway partnerships with institutions throughout New Jersey.

“We look at how influential the school’s faculty is and then factor in the student body size. We call this metric ‘Concentrated Influence,’ says Dr. Jed Macosko, academic director of AcademicInfluence.com and professor of physics at Wake Forest University. “Because students often choose to attend a school nearby, this kind of illumination provides a truer view of how influential their neighborhood community college may actually be, regardless of its size.”

Brookdale is cited as being most influential in Communications, Graphic Design; Criminal Justice, Policing; Medical, Dentistry; Social Work, Empowerment; Business, Marketing, Management, Accounting; Computer Science, Information Security, Programming, Networking; Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering; Law; Education and Nursing. With other areas of influence being Psychology; Political Science; History; Anthropology; Chemistry and Earth Science.

Their most influential alumni faculty include professors and professionals in the fields of Psychology, Communications, and Criminal Justice. AcademicInfluence.com also cited Brookdale Community College’s most academically influential people to include Brian Williams, Ajeé Wilson, and Jim Hunter.

Students who graduate from a community college often get a head start in the job market, earning a salary that can help defray the costs of transitioning to a more expensive four-year school. And for some, an associate degree may be all they need.

Brookdale Community College is a public community college in Lincroft, New Jersey, it was founded in 1967 and has locations in Neptune Township, Freehold, Hazlet, Long Branch, and Wall Township. Open enrollment begins March 15 for the Summer Term and March 22 for the Fall Term.