Westchester Community College is a two-year institution founded in 1946. The main campus is located on 218 acres in Valhalla, New York and 30 off-campus locations are also available to students. This institution is affiliated with the State University of New York (SUNY). A total of 30 different community colleges are affiliated with SUNY and Westchester has had more Chancellor Award winners than any of the other SUNY community colleges..
| Overall Score (about) | 43.3 |
| Total Cost On-Campus Attendance | $7,236 |
| Admission Success rate | N/A |
| Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty | 38 : 1 |
| Retention (full-time / part-time) | 58% / 43% |
| Enrollment Total (all students) | 11,535 |
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools accredits Westchester. This institution is authorized to award their two-year Associate Degrees by the University of the State of New York.
Westchester has 40 programs available for students to receive an associate degree. The degrees offered at Westchester include the Associate in Applied Science Degrees (A.A.S), the Associate in Arts Degree (A.A.) and the Associate in Science Degree (A.S.).
Students who complete an A.A. or an A.S. will have completed the lower level core requirements allowing them to transfer smoothly to a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year college or university. An A.A.S. is for students who wish to be immediately employed upon completion or who wish to transfer to a four-year college or university. This degree combines the liberal arts and sciences with a specific career preparation program.
Out of all the degree programs offered at this institution, the top ten in descending order from 2009 include: AA in Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, AS in Business Accounting, AS in Business Administration, AA in Liberal Arts and Humanities, AAS in Criminal Justice Police, AAS in Early Childhood, AAS in Business Marketing, AS in Liberal Arts, Math and Science, AAS in Human Service, and AAS in Nursing RN. The Nursing Program is highly competitive and a select number of students are chosen for enrollment once a year.
Certificate Programs:
There are also 22 different one-year certificate programs, which prepare students for immediate employment in various skilled occupations. The Division of Continuing Education offers non-traditional programs seven days a week throughout the entire county.
Online Courses:
Westchester also offers online classes for students. There are currently 100 online sections available. From solely online courses students can obtain a Computer Programming Certificate, an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts and Social Science and an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts, Sciences and Humanities.
Honors Program:
There is an Honors Program offered for students demonstrating high academic achievement. Students enrolled in this program have a better chance of transferring to a four-year college or university. Some of the students graduating from this program have even gone on to continue their education at elite universities including Columbia, Middlebury, Cornell, NYU, Sarah Lawrence, Smith, Pace, and Fordham. Select students in this program are able to study at the Cambridge University in England.
Students who want to apply to Westchester must complete an application, send official high school transcripts and/or GED scores, college transcripts (when applicable) and pay a small nonrefundable application fee. Applications can be found online or picked up at the Admissions Office.
Transfer Students:
Transfer students can only transfer a maximum of 32 credits. Transfer credits will be accepted if the institution was accredited by the New York State Board of Regents or by the six regional accrediting agencies.
International Students:
International students must be enrolled full-time in order to be eligible for an F-1 Visa. These students must send a letter to the Office of Admissions in order to obtain an International Student Application Packet.
Early Admissions:
High school students demonstrating high academic achievement may be eligible to apply for the Early Admissions Program. In this program, high school students who have completed their junior year are able to take college courses while still enrolled at their high school. Students interested in this program must take a placement test and then meet with an Admissions Counselor. These students must submit an application, a nonrefundable application fee, high school transcripts, Immunization records, and receive permission from their guidance counselor. High school students also have the opportunity to enroll in the Advanced College Experience Program. Through this program high school students are able to take college level classes at their own high school. This program is only offered for high schools that have a partnership with Westchester.
The financial aid opportunities offered by the state of New York include the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP); the Part-Time TAP Award; the Accelerated TAP Award; the Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS); the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP); the World Trade Center Memorial Program; the SUNY Empire State/Diversity Honors Scholarship; the Educational Incentive Program; the Aid to Native Americans; the Memorial Scholarship for Children and Spouses of Deceased Police Officers and Firefighters; and the Volunteer Recruitment Service Scholarship.
There are also various scholarships available from the state through a student’s high school. These include the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program, the Scholarship for Academic Excellence, and the Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID).
Students enrolled in the Honors Program may apply for the Nancy Jo Abeles Scholarship for Continuing Honors Students after completing one year in the program. This scholarship is only given to a select number of students in the Honors Program.
Grants and Loans:
Students who must take out loans to pay the expenses of their education have several federal loan options. The federal loans available are Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Student Loans. Subsidized loans have a lower interest rate in comparison to the unsubsidized loans. All students who wish to take out a loan must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours. Loans must be repaid in monthly increments after the student has graduated and is no longer taking college classes.
The other types of federal financial aid include the Federal PELL Grant and the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant.
The student body at Westchester is made up of slightly more females than males. Westchester offers a diverse student population with students from various cultures and ethnicities. The top three ethnicities found at this institution include Caucasian, Hispanic, and African-American. There is a day care facility available for the children of students and faculty at the Virginia Marx Children’s Center.
Westchester offers a variety of organizations for students including the Student Government Association and a variety of curriculum related and cultural clubs.
The athletic program at Westchester is a member of the NJCAA Region XV and the Mid Hudson Conference. Most of the sports teams compete at the Division III level except for men’s basketball, which competes at the Division I level. Men are able to compete on the following athletic teams through this program: basketball, baseball, soccer, golf, and bowling. Women have the opportunity to compete in various athletic teams as well and these include: bowling, softball, basketball, and volleyball. The school’s colors are navy, orange, and white and their sports teams are known as the Vikings.
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