For An Excellent Education, Look No Further Than Queens
BY VICTORIA CHU

It is understandable that Queens College is most likely the first school Queens residents will come up with when asked about colleges in the borough. However, there are many other colleges that offer excellent programs that are also located in Queens. As the local high school graduates of 2009 and their frenzied parents start the arduous search for The Perfect College, they might not have to look too far from home after all.

LaGuardia Community College

31-10 Thomson Ave.

Long Island City, NY 11101

The student population at this City University in New York (CUNY) school has students from over 160 countries, and is so diverse the school calls itself "The World''s Community College." It was one of nine colleges in the country named the "Best Practice College" by the MetLife Foundation in 2004. Students can choose among 31 majors and pursue an Associate degree in Arts, Science, and Applied Science. Many students choose to go to four-year colleges after receiving their degrees from LaGuardia, which has transfer agreements with more than 70 senior colleges, such as New York and Cornell Universities, and CUNY schools such as Baruch and Hunter Colleges. LaGuardia boasts the third largest graduating class of business majors in the country and the largest graduating class of Health Science majors in New York City.

Queensborough Community College 222-05 56th Ave.

Bayside, NY 11364

Queensborough is another two-year CUNY school that aims to help its students transfer to senior colleges. Both LaGuardia and Queensborough have more than 13,000 students. Queensborough is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and has three main programs of study taught by professors, more than 60 percent of whom have PhDs or other professional degrees. The transfer program prepares students who will potentially transfer to a senior college and offers Associate degrees in art and science. The career program offers an Associate degree in Applied Science and is designed for students who wish to work as soon as they graduate. The Certificate program is for students entering specialized professional fields.

Queens College

65-30 Kissena Blvd.

Flushing, NY 11367

The "jewel of the CUNY system" is nationally recognized for its strong liberal arts programs. It was named by U.S. News America's Best Colleges as one of the 15 "Top Public Universities-Master's- North" in 2008 and has more than 18,000 undergraduate and graduate students combined. The student body is taught by able faculty, 86 percent of whom hold the highest degrees attainable in their fields. In addition to its own Honors program, it participates in the Macaulay Honors College, which provides qualified students with special privileges, including full tuition, internships, and even a free laptop. Queens College has more than 115 undergraduate and graduate majors, with programs in Arts and Humanities, Education, Mathematics and the Natural Sciences and the Social Sciences. Especially unique to the school are the many specialized centers and institutes that are focused on social issues or extol the different ethnicities in Queens. It will also be one of the few CUNY schools to have dormitories, which will open in the fall of 2009. Notable alumni include television actor Ray Romano and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall.

York College

94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd.

Jamaica, NY 11451

Similar to Queens College, York College is a four-year CUNY school known for its liberal arts programs. However, it also is known for its Health Sciences program and has more than 40 major disciplines, including an Occupational Therapy BS/MS and a Physician Assistant program. The most popular majors are psychology, information systems management and community health education. The Metropolitan New York Section of the Mathematical Association of America presented two awards to York and its staff in 2006. A total of more than 6,000 undergraduate students take advantage of York's special programs, such as double major, independent study and even a pass/fail grading option. Preprofessional programs are also available, including pre-medicine, pre-dentistry and pre-engineering.

St. John's University

8000 Utopia Pkwy.

Jamaica Estates, NY 11439

Besides being well known for its 17 Division 1 NCAA teams' achievements, the private, Roman Catholic school is noted for its law, medical, business and pharmacy programs. St. John's was ranked as one of the "Best Northeastern Colleges" and 15th nationwide for "Diverse Student Population", both in 2008. Students can participate in more than 150 clubs and activities and often provide service to organizations such as the Bread & Life Program, one of the largest social service organizations in New York City. With more than 100 programs in five different undergraduate colleges, one of the largest university libraries on the East Coast, three residential campuses, and more than 1,000 faculty members, 90 percent of whom have a PhD or other degree, the diverse population of more than 15,000 undergraduate students can have the university experience right near home.

Bramson ORT College

69-30 Austin St.

Forest Hills, NY 11375

Bramson ORT is a small, two-year technical, private college under World ORT, an international Jewish organization. With slightly more than 500 students and 80 faculty members, the school provides Associate Degree, Certificate and Diploma programs, as well as special programs such as ESL, academic remediation and internships. The main departments include accounting, computer, office and electronics technology, business management and medical and natural sciences.

Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology

86-01 23rd Ave.

Flushing, NY 11369

Appropriately located near LaGuardia Airport, this four-year school is the only college in New York that offers Mechatronics, a relatively new and important engineering program. Vaughn is not only regionally accredited but has baccalaureate program accreditation with ABET. The students, numbering more than 1,100, can pursue degrees in engineering and technology, computerized graphics, airport maintenance and management and aviation. They can also take part in special programs, such as a Federal Aviation Administration Collegiate Training Initiative program on air traffic control, which is offered by only 13 institutions nationwide, and use learning facilities such as a flight simulator and hangar facility.