Raleigh, N.C. — North Carolina’s 58 community colleges are providing work force education and training to a growing number of adults at an affordable price, according to a national study released Thursday.

The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, part of the State University of New York, released an education policy brief that focused on how well states take advantage of the opportunities offered by community colleges.

North Carolina is one of four states ranked above the national average in all five criteria used in the report. The other states are Iowa, Mississippi and New Mexico.

The report also ranked North Carolina’s annual community college tuition and fees, about $1,300 in 2006-07, as 48th out of 50 states.