Most of SLCC's degrees come from the liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities departments, placing them 14th in the nation, conferring 1,508 two-year degrees in those fields. Utah Valley University and Weber State University were high on the list for four-year colleges turning out the same associate degrees. SLCC ranked 36th in the number of business management students it presented.

Snow College graduated the 25th highest number of communications/journalism students when compared to its peers, showing a 50 percent increase in interest in the struggling profession over past years. In the growing field of health professionals, Weber State landed 10th for such graduates, while SLCC placed the same for its 35 percent increase in nursing degrees conferred.

The Davis Applied Technology College placed 96th on the list for one-year certificates, handing out 688 last year,

Community College Week, a biweekly publication, states that the number of associate degrees conferred to students nationally has continued to climb throughout the past 10 years, but the growth rate this past year for both associate degrees and two-year certificates is greater than the average annual growth rate for the last decade.

E-MAIL: wleonard@desnews.com