Top Community College in NJ
Raritan Valley Community College has been named the #1 Community College in New Jersey by WalletHub.com, CollegeEvaluator.com, and Intelligent.com.
#1 Ranking for Sustainability Efforts
RVCC has been rated as the top community college in the United States for its sustainability efforts by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages environmental, social, and economic sustainability of higher education. This is the 11th year in a row that RVCC has been recognized nationally for its sustainability efforts by AASHE.
Newman Civic Fellow
RVCC graduate Lila Seroy has been named a Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact. Seroy, a Business major who graduated from RVCC in May 2025, is currently a student at Stanford University. She joins a group of student civic leaders from 38 states, Washington, DC, and Mexico who comprise the 2025-2026 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows. The yearlong fellowship program recognizes students who stand out for their leadership potential and commitment to creating positive change in communities.
Through her service at Visions and Pathways, Seroy addressed the lack of awareness and resources for youth who have aged out of foster care or are facing homelessness. Her work involved expanding the organization's outreach through digital marketing and community engagement to increase support and visibility for its vital programs. Seroy created and implemented a strategic social media campaign to highlight success stories and engage the community in supporting the cause.
Voter Participation, Engagement
RVCC graduate Calvin Edgar has been recognized nationally by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) as part of the fourth annual ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll. Edgar helped lead the College’s RVotes Matter initiative to increase student voter registration. He also was an active participant in the ALL IN Challenge Voting Summit and Communities of Practice, learning about student voter engagement efforts regionally and nationally, as well as sharing his own ideas with students.
In addition, ALL IN recognized RVCC for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts with the “2022 New Jersey Campus Voting Challenge Highest Voting Rate: Community College” and the “2022 New Jersey Campus Voting Challenge Highest Registration Rate: Community College.” The College also earned a Bronze Seal from ALL IN based on its 2022 campus voting rate from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement report from Tufts University. RVCC is one of six community colleges nationally receiving the award. RVCC also was one of 93 campuses honored by ALL IN for its development of a campus Civic Action Plan for the 2024 election cycle.
Automotive Excellence
RVCC’s Automotive Technology Associate of Applied Science (AAS) program has been honored with the ASE Training Managers Council’s (ATMC) National Excellence in Training Award. RVCC is one of three programs in the country to be recognized. The annual awards highlight outstanding or innovative training programs designed for the Automotive and Truck Industry and shine a spotlight on the importance of training to the success of the industry.
PTK Awards
RVCC’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society received multiple awards at the organization’s international convention, Catalyst, held in Kansas City, MO, including: Distinguished Chapter – Beta Alpha Award, for chapters that have received a Distinguished Chapter Award for three consecutive years; Distinguished Honors in Action, for its project titled “Beyond Ink: The Stories of Tattoos”; Honors in Action Theme Award; Distinguished Chapter Officer to Emily Rosalli; and Distinguished Advisor Award to the chapter’s then co-advisors, Janelle Varin and Sara Banfield.
Earlier, the RVCC chapter received several awards at PTK’s Middle States Regional Convention, held in Somerset. The chapter’s honors at the regional conference included: Distinguished Chapter; Distinguished Honors in Action Project; Chapter Officer to Emily Rosalli; Chapter Officer Team; and the Distinguished Advisor Award to Janelle Varin and Sara Banfield.
Hoop Success
It was another stellar year for RVCC’s Men’s Basketball Team. The team earned its first trip to the National Tournament in Danville, IL after winning its third consecutive Region XIX Championship and its first District Championship. In addition, First-year player Sutan Fitzpatrick was named to the second team All-Region XIX. First-year forward Najee Graham was honored with Region XIX Player of the Year and also was named to the NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball All American Team. Head Coach Kevin Ryan also was named Region XIX Coach of the Year.
