- The Lakeshore Technical College was voted #1 in Wisconsin, #9 nationally by Niche.com.
- Second year student, Erin Rank, loves that she can go to a highly rated college near her home.
- Lakeshore College President, Paul Carlsen, believes that the success of the school helps the whole Lakeshore region and all of the surrounding communities.
A local technical college is ranked number one in our state. The Lakeshore Technical College was voted by Niche.com as the number one technical college in Wisconsin, so I found out what makes the southern Manitowoc County school so special.
Second year student, Erin Rank, is from Manitowoc and studies accounting.
"If you would've asked me five years ago to go for accounting I would've said 'Heck no'," said Rank.
She loves that she is able to be close to home while also getting her education
"I do like the close drive, living with my family," Rank says. "I feel very homey here."
Now that education at Lakeshore, also called LTC, got even more valuable.
Like Erin, many LTC students are from the Manitowoc County area and 94% of LTC graduates are employed within six months of graduating. Of those graduates, 94% are actually employed here in Wisconsin.
LTC President, Paul Carlsen, says it is all about building the future of the surrounding communities.
"These are people who we will see one day on school boards. We will see them in the grocery store on in church," Carlsen said. "So, it is great to see that local investment grow locally."
Not only was the school ranked best in Wisconsin, but it was ranked as the 9th best technical school in the country. It's also been ranked highly by other organizations like Forbes and Washington Monthly, as well.
"To be able to say, 'You know you really are a nation leader', it gives us a lot of pride here at Lakeshore Technical College. But, it is a sense of pride throughout our communities," Carlsen added. "Because, again, we are a community organization and when one community organization does well, all do well."
President Carlsen says the college has given students the option to grow up, get a degree, and settle all in the same area. A possibility that sounds all too good to students, like Erin.
"I think it's really cool to come to a college that means a lot to me and it is ninth in the nation and I think that's really cool to be a part of," Rank said.
LTC beat out 15 other technical schools in Wisconsin for that top spot and its 9th place national ranking was in a pool of more than 1200.
