In fact, that’s where 45% of all freshmen end up. With roughly 1,200 community colleges in existence, campuses are located within commuting distance of more than 90% of Americans.
There are many reasons why so many teenagers, as well as older
students, choose two-year schools. Cost is a biggie. The average
tuition, according to the American Association of Community Colleges,
was recently $2,272 versus $5,836 for a four-year public institution.
Even with the low cost, nearly half of community college
students receive financial aid.
Community colleges can also be a bargain in ways that many people
completely overlook. Despite the modest cost, these colleges offer
an antidote to the cavernous lecture halls that many underclassmen at
state universities must tolerate. Community colleges allow students to
take the same required general education classes in a far more intimate
setting than those taught at universities.
With smaller classes, community college students can get to know
their professors in a way that a freshman enrolled in an introductory
class at a university can rarely experience. In fact, community college
professors teach their own classes unlike many of their counterparts at
four-year universities, where research is a primary preoccupation. It’s
unlikely that you will find teaching assistants at community colleges.
Students at community colleges are also in a better position to elicit
their teachers’ help.
Community colleges are also trying to become more attractive to
the sort of high school graduates who normally would hop directly to a
four-year school. Motivated kids can save a ton of money by starting at
a two-year school. To attract these students, an increasing number of
schools are offering honors classes. Those with honors programs
include Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey; Miami
Dade (Florida) College; Pima County Community College in Tucson,
Arizona; Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio; Valencia Community
College in Orlando, Florida; and Joliet (Illinois) Junior College,
which is considered the oldest public community college in the nation.
About 20% of the 800 institutions in the National Collegiate Honors
Council, which sets standards for honors programs, belong to community
colleges. You can find community colleges in the council by
visiting its Web site at www.nchchonors.org.
To serve their students better, a growing number of community
colleges are trashing their original mandate and turning into four-year
institutions for a limited number of disciplines. Some schools, such as
Miami Dade College, St. Petersburg (Florida) College, and Northern
New Mexico College in Espanola, New Mexico, dropped community
from their names to reflect their new mission.
Some students see community colleges as a temporary pit stop
because their grades aren’t good enough for the schools they covet.
Through open admission policies, community colleges routinely
admit anyone with a high school diploma or GED regardless of a student’s
standardized test scores or high school transcript.
Still others consider a two-year school as a good place to start since
they have no idea what majors they might want to explore. Community
colleges can also be a good fit for those who want or need to work
while getting an education. Many schools have evening and online
classes.
About half of community college freshmen don’t intend to earn a
bachelor’s degree. Some community college programs don’t require a
two-year commitment. An amazing 50% of new nurses and the majority
of other health-care workers attend community colleges.
Hottest Community College Careers
According to the American Association of Community Colleges,
these are the five most popular programs on two-year college campuses:
1. Registered nursing
2. Law enforcement
3. Licensed practical nursing
4. Radiology
5. Computer technologies
Dorm Life and Community Colleges
Some students hesitate to attend a two-year school because they
want to experience living on a campus. Traditionally, few community
colleges offered housing, and those that did were typically confined to
rural areas that draw students from a wider area than urban schools.
But that’s all changing. An increasing number of schools are building
dorms as they become a popular choice. According to the American
Association of Community Colleges, 240 public community
colleges and 70 private ones offer dormitories.
Private two-year schools are typically referred to as junior colleges
and public schools are called community colleges. There are 987 public
community colleges and 177 independent schools. Another 31 are
tribal community colleges.
Here are just a few of the private junior colleges, some also offer
baccalaureate degrees, that maintain dorms:
Alvernia College, Reading, Pennsylvania
Andrew College, Cuthbert, Georgia
Dean College, Franklin, Massachusetts
Fisher College, Boston, Massachusetts
Harcum College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Holy Cross College, Notre Dame, Indiana
Landmark College, Putney, Vermont
Lincoln College, Lincoln, Illinois
Mount St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles, California
Spartanburg Methodist College, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Action Plan
A community college can provide a more intimate and far cheaper
learning experience for freshmen and sophomores.
Source: The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price
