(New Castle, PA) Darrin Salzano, 27, a New Castle resident who has worked for the U.S. Postal Service for six years, said Butler County Community College’s rankings as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania informed his decision to choose BC3 @ Lawrence to prepare him for a career as a high school teacher.

“I would like to be able to put on my resume,” Salzano said, “that I was educated at a trusted and high-ranking school.”

That high-ranking school – designated as such since 2015 by online resources that research and analyze the U.S. Department of Education’s and other information to help prospective students plan for their careers – has received another No. 1 designation.

Niche.com, Pittsburgh, reviewed and evaluated data from the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Census Bureau and FBI, and weighed student and alumni reviews in recognizing BC3 as the best community college in Pennsylvania for 2026.

Academics, value, financial aid, safety and student life were among topics Niche.com considered.

It weighed academics at 40 percent; value at 27.5 percent; professors at 7.5 percent; campus, diversity, student life and student surveys on overall experience at 5 percent each; and local area and safety at 2.5 percent each.

BC3 was also ranked No. 1 by Niche.com for 2025, for 2023 and for 2022; by BestColleges.com for 2023, for 2022, for 2020 and for 2017; and by Schools.com in 2019, in 2017 and in 2015.

“The college lives up to what it aspires to be”

“Having outside entities validate our mission should mean something to those considering BC3 and those already enrolled, whether on our main campus in Butler or at an additional location,” said Sean Carroll, director of BC3 @ Lawrence. “Having this recognition each year is a testament to all the great work being done throughout the college community.”

The college created additional locations such as BC3 @ Lawrence in 2025 to serve western Pennsylvania counties under-represented by higher education. BC3 chose Lawrence County in 1989 to be its first location outside of Butler County and Aug. 25 opened BC3 @ Lawrence in Shenango Commons, Shenango Township.

BC3, with an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, is also marking its 60th anniversary this year.

Carroll, director of the college’s additional locations in Lawrence County since 2016, said BC3’s No. 1 rankings should resonate with current and prospective students because “the college lives up to what it aspires to be. BC3 provides a high-quality education that is affordable and accessible along with opportunities outside the classroom in a safe environment.”

Megan M. Coval, president of the college, and Joseph E. Kubit, chair of BC3’s board of trustees, a judge in Butler County and a 1984 graduate of BC3, agreed.

“Students and families can count on BC3” 

“This honor is yet another example that students and families can count on BC3 to deliver quality, affordable and accessible education,” Coval said. “For 60 years the college has stayed true to a mission that puts students first. That steady commitment and genuine care are exactly what students need most right now.”

Added Kubit: “These consistently outstanding rankings should instill pride and confidence in current students and be something those choosing a college should consider strongly.”

Financial aid options, BC3’s affordability and scholarships allowed 93 percent of the college’s Class of 2025 to graduate debt-free.

Tuition and fees for BC3 students from Lawrence and Mercer counties pursuing 15 credits each semester in the 2025-2026 academic year cost $9,300 for in-person courses. Those students can receive up to $12,289 in federal and state grants, according to Juli Louttit, BC3’s director of student financial services.

Salzano graduated from New Castle Senior High School in 2016. The BC3 @ Lawrence secondary education-social studies option student said “BC3 has met every expectation that I have had. The staff is super-helpful as well as the professors.”

“You can’t beat BC3 with its affordability”

He expects to graduate debt-free in May 2027 from BC3 @ Lawrence.

“You can’t beat BC3 with its affordability,” Salzano said. “Going back to school is a big risk. The last thing I want to do is to waste a lot of money. It’s a safe bet. You’re not taking on so much debt or interest so when you graduate and get your degree, you’re not in a hole and can enjoy your paychecks a little bit more.”

Salzano plans to then transfer to Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania to pursue a bachelor’s degree in secondary education: social studies and history.

Students from Ellwood City, Grove City, Hermitage, Mercer, New Castle, New Wilmington, Portersville and Sharpsville were among selected by the BC3 Education Foundation to receive one of its record 164 named scholarships in 2025-2026, according to Bobbi Jo Cornetti, scholarship and development coordinator with the foundation.

Financial awards ranged from $300 to $5,000 and averaged $500, Cornetti said. 

Salzano volunteers with the New Castle Playhouse with acting, auditions, lighting and stage preparation.

Students can save approximately $30,000 by beginning their pursuit of higher education at one of the state’s 15 community colleges, according to the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.

BC3 is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, as are its fellow Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges members that completed Niche.com’s Top 10: Delaware County Community College, No. 2; Bucks County Community College, No. 3; Luzerne County Community College, No. 4; the Community College of Beaver County, No. 5; Westmoreland County Community College, No. 6; Reading Area Community College, No. 7; Community College of Philadelphia, No. 8; the Community College of Allegheny County, No. 9; and Harrisburg Area Community College, No. 10.

BC3 @ Lawrence, 2658 Ellwood Road, New Castle, Suite 129, will hold an open house from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 5.