Many people pursuing a specific career path will study for a bachelor's degree — but associate degrees, which often take half the time, are another way to obtain the qualification you need.

While community colleges are among the more affordable options for those seeking an associate degree, there's more to a good school experience than the price.

To uncover America's best community colleges, SmartAsset compared 616 two-year schools offering associate degrees on their retention rates, student-to-faculty ratio and tuition and fees. Only colleges with at least 500 full-time enrollees were included in the study.

Of the country's top 20 community colleges, 65 percent are in North Carolina, including Randolph Community College, Durham Technical Community College, Wayne Community College and Edgecombe Community College.

The highest-ranking school overall is Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The college boasts a retention rate of 81 percent and just eight students for every faculty member, while tuition and fees stand at $4,766.

New York's Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences is the worst community college in the study, with a retention rate of just 26 percent and tuition and fees exceeding $27,000.

Via SmartAsset.

[Image credit: Leiada Krozjhen]