(SANTA ANA, CA) — Santa Ana College (SAC) has been ranked the No. 1 community college in Orange County in Niche’s newly released Best Community Colleges rankings, earning recognition among the top community colleges in California and nationwide.
SAC is ranked No. 11 among community colleges in California and No. 44 nationally. The college also earned an overall Niche grade of B+.
"I could not be more proud of Santa Ana College earning this distinction as the No. 1 community college in Orange County,” said President Dr. Annebelle Nery. This recognition belongs to our students, faculty and staff, whose commitment to excellence and student success drives everything we do here at SAC."
The recognition continues a three-year run for the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD), with an RSCCD college holding the No. 1 ranking among Orange County community colleges for three consecutive years. Santiago Canyon College, SAC’s sister college within RSCCD, held the county’s top position in Niche’s 2025 and 2026 rankings.
Niche develops its Best Community Colleges rankings using data from the U.S. Department of Education along with reviews from students and alumni. The factors behind ranking the top schools include academics, value, faculty, diversity, campus quality, safety and student life.
For 2027, Niche updated its methodology to include additional measures intended to provide students and families with a broader assessment of institutional performance.
View the complete 2027 Niche Best Community Colleges rankings and methodology.
About Santa Ana College:
Santa Ana College (SAC), founded in 1915, serves more than 70,000 students yearly for credit and noncredit classes. At present, SAC students can work toward completing an associate degree, university transfer, career/workforce training or a bachelor's degree in occupational studies. In 2025, the college launched a second bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies. As part of Santa Ana College, the School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center offers free classes throughout the community for adults of all ages and academic backgrounds. Santa Ana College is an award-winning college and was recently ranked as one of the nation's top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students and named one of the best community colleges in California by Intelligent.com for a 2nd consecutive year. The college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and medical personnel.