Three Southern California community colleges were named among the nation’s best institutions in a WalletHub ranking released Tuesday.

The rankings analyzed 650 different schools across the country and used factors such as cost, student-to-teacher ratio and graduation rate to create the list.

Orange County schools Irvine Valley College in Irvine and Saddleback College in Mission Viejo ranked 6th and 14th, respectively, while Moreno Valley College in Riverside County came in 12th.

California also ranked 17th in the country for best community colleges, according to the list, while Maryland was ranked as the best state overall.

Numerous other Southern California schools also made the list, including Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Golden West College in Huntington Beach and Pasadena City College, to name a few.

“The magic of community colleges is that they can be a gateway to so many opportunities,” said Professor Jennifer L. Steele of American University in a statement. “For some students, they offer local access to certificates and training in skilled trades and technical careers. For others, they offer lower-cost entry-level opportunities to four-year degree programs and beyond.”

First place went to Manhattan Area Technical College in Kansas, while State Technical College in Missouri and Pratt Community College in Kansas took the top three spots.