Best Community Colleges in Wyoming

Prospective students can choose from seven community colleges in Wyoming. An eighth was approved in August 2021. The Wyoming Community College Commission oversees these schools.

The commission laid out a strategic plan through 2025 to keep people in Wyoming educated and involved. While the best community colleges in Wyoming offer courses in popular career fields, there’s also training in location-specific industries across the state.

The state also offers online learning options and affordable pricing and discounts for students in Western states.

Community college education in Wyoming focuses on high school students wanting affordable higher education and adults looking to get more training to advance in their careers and further their education.

In 2019, the state’s community college system handed out more than 2,500 degrees and 700 certificates. Wyoming offers veterans free tuition, along with their spouses and children.

Wyoming’s economy is driven largely by tourism, mining, and agriculture. In 2021, Wyoming ranked first in the State Business Tax Climate Index. Wyoming has no state income tax and a low 4% state sales tax.

Worried about internet connectivity? Don’t be. Wyoming aggressively went after this technology in the 1990s. A Unified Network is housed across its community colleges. The goal is to give every person, business, and school access to broadband by 2023.

When compared to other states, the cost of living is cheaper in Wyoming. Regions within the state can see big fluctuations.

For example, in the second quarter of 2021, Teton’s cost of living index was 165, above the statewide average of 100. In comparison, Washakie was at 87. The closer you live to the big tourist attractions like Yellowstone and Grand Teton, the more the cost of living goes up.

Wyoming has many miles of interstate, with I-80 being one of the major cross-country corridors. To plan for sightseeing across this beautiful state, people should have a healthy budget to buy gasoline.

With the nickname “The Cowboy State” and six people per square mile, one might think the state doesn’t offer a lot to do.

However, opportunities abound to learn about the outdoors, visit a national or state park, or take a tour through Western culture. In the winter, ski resorts are ready with fresh powder for skiers.

While many are familiar with the big names in Wyoming like Yellowstone Park or Grand Teton, travelers can also go back in time, taking a ride on the Old Lincoln Highway dating back to 1913. This was the first cross-country road, and part of it is still preserved in its original form.

The climate across Wyoming varies. The summers are mild and warm, rarely hot. The winters are cold. Elevation determines how much snow falls in the winter, with a low average of around 6 inches to a high average of 30 inches.

“Hail Alley” goes through southeastern Wyoming. It’s the most hail-prone area in the nation.

Like most states, Wyoming took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, as 38 of its industries saw declines in the first quarter of 2021.

As tourists make their way back to the many parks across Wyoming and more demand comes for the state’s natural resources, those numbers are expected to rebound.

Animal lovers are projected to see 32% job growth for these professionals across Wyoming from 2018-2028. The national growth projection for these occupations is 15% from 2020-2030, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A technician degree can be obtained at the associate level. Eastern Wyoming College offers a degree in veterinary technology that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association. This job requires workers to run tests and gather information to help diagnose an illness or injury in an animal.

Wyoming Mean Annual Salary (as of May 2020): $33,090

Occupational therapy assistants help patients recover, develop, and improve skills they need in daily life. These assistants typically have at least an associate degree. Some decide to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the field. The job growth projection is 36% from 2020-2030 in the U.S., according to the BLS. It’s 31% in Wyoming from 2018-2028. Assistants do need licensing through the state of Wyoming before they can begin work.

Wyoming Mean Annual Salary (as of May 2020): $57,680

Wyoming economic data projects job growth to be 17% from 2018-2028. This job combines the love of the outdoors and science. These professionals monitor sources of pollution and contamination. All of Wyoming’s community colleges offer this field of study.

Wyoming Mean Annual Salary (as of May 2020): $44,230

The number of jobs for web developers is projected to grow by 11% in Wyoming from 2018-2028. Web developers control aspects of web design, such as layout, ease of use, and interface functions while testing to make sure the system works. These professionals can work on their own as freelancers or for a company. Associate degrees in web development or computer science programming are available at the community colleges in Wyoming.

Wyoming Mean Annual Salary: $50,080

These professionals help patients with MRI and other diagnostic testing, mostly in hospitals. They also need to get a license through the state of Wyoming to work in this field. The number of jobs in this field is projected to grow by 15% in Wyoming from 2018-2028. This compares to BLS projections of 9% growth nationwide.

Wyoming Mean Annual Salary: $61,060