UA-EACC Named in America's Top 250 Vocational Schools by USA Today

UA-EACC received national recognition for the second year in a row by USA TODAY as one of America's Top Vocational Schools. The college is one of only six listed from Arkansas, and one of only 135 in the country to receive a 5-star rating.

"UA-EACC is honored to again be recognized as one of the nation's top providers of vocational and skilled trades training. This ranking recognizes the significant progress and success of our vocational, technical, and career education programs. Preparing our students with the skills and credentials they need to enter the workforce in high-demand careers and achieve long-term economic stability is essential to our mission," said Adam O'Neal, UA-EACC Chancellor.  

USA TODAY recognizes that short-term certificate training programs in vocational and trade schools are the fastest-growing type of postsecondary credential in the United States. To help students navigate the trade school market, USA TODAY partnered with the market research firm Statista to create the first annual ranking of "America's Top Vocational Schools." 

"Our vocational programs offer students a direct path to employment while strengthening the workforce for employers across our region and state," said Chancellor O'Neal. "Through hands-on training, industry recognized credentials, and flexible scheduling and learning options, we help students develop the skills needed for today's workforce to support student success and regional economic growth," he added.

The recently released rankings were judged on five primary metrics: graduation rate, graduates' salary, years required to pay off net cost, social mobility, and diversity.

Graduation rate measures an institution's ability to ensure students complete their degree, looking at the various fields of study. Graduate salary measures the impact an institution has on its graduates' salaries over and above what is an expected earning, regardless of which school attended.

Years to pay off net price combines the average net price of attending a school and the value added to the average graduate's salary when compared to income of the average high school graduate. Social mobility takes into account how much the positive effects provided by the institution benefit students depending on financial aid. Diversity includes combined metrics of ethnicity and gender based on official government data.

Data on school performance was collected by Statista through publicly available federal databases such as IPEDS and College Scorecard. The data was reviewed on its validity to project student outcomes. The schools were ranked on a star system and excluded if they were unaccredited, failed specific financial responsibility metrics or had a high percentage of graduates defaulting on their student loans.

USA TODAY's recognition of short-term training programs and vocational education as the fastest-growing postsecondary credentials reflects a significant shift toward accessible, career-focused learning pathways. Identifying top-performing schools has been challenging due to inconsistent and unclear research surrounding vocational education, especially for programs lasting only a few months. The new rankings list was created to assist students in finding the right vocational schools.

The University of Arkansas-East Arkansas Community College offers affordable, career-ready and transfer-ready programs. With a variety of certificate programs, technical degrees, academic programs, and more, UA-EACC is committed to student success.