Success stories for students don’t always begin with a new horizon at a university in a major city.
There were 253 students who began studying at the College of the Rockies (COTR) during the 2014-15 school year before transferring on to B.C. universities.
The British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) annual review for 2014-15 revealed that COTR finished in the top 10 provincial schools regarding the number of credits students could transfer to different educational institutions.
“The BCCAT report on B.C. transfer students is important for students in Invermere,” said Darrell Bethune, Dean of Instruction, University Studies, Business Administration, Tourism and Recreation Management, Applied Computing and Aboriginal Programs. “It shows how well COTR students do when they transfer from COTR and complete a university degree program. It shows that COTR students are more likely to complete their degree program after they transfer, which is expected because they have been very well prepared in their academic programs at COTR.”
Typically, COTR students transfer to different locations to pursue health care, arts, sciences, education and social services.
“Today, Invermere students have a lot of educational choices,” said Mr. Bethune.
“Joining COTR is an ideal starting point for academic students — it connects them with the provincial system of public post-secondary institutions and provides them with excellent instruction in their university program of choice.”
In addition, the review states that students who began taking courses at COTR then transferred to a university scored 85 per cent higher than their counterparts who began their studies at university — the highest “graduation rate” for transfer institutions and the second highest of all B.C. post-secondary schools.
Seventy-six percent of students transferring from the college to a university are female.
“There are many advantages to beginning your education at College of the Rockies,” said Education Vice-President Stan Chung. “Our smaller class sizes allow for more one-on-one attention to help you to be successful and our competitive tuition rates and lower cost of living — especially for local students who are able to remain at home — help make post-secondary education more affordable. Additionally, our numerous transfer agreements with universities across Canada and abroad make starting at the college before moving on to university simple and straightforward.”
Learn more about transfer options at College of the Rockies at cotr.ca/transfer.