Quick Answer: What Is Community College?

What is the difference between community college and regular college?

Degree Program Length The main difference between a community college and a university is that most degrees at a community college only take two years to complete, while degrees at a four year university take four years to complete. Most community colleges do not offer a bachelor’s degree.

What is the purpose of community colleges?

Community colleges play a critical role in workforce development across the nation. They have a broad mission to provide academic programming and skills training to prepare students for jobs or to transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

What exactly is community college?

A community college is a type of educational institution. The term usually refers to a higher educational institution that provides workforce education and college transfer academic programs. Some institutions maintain athletic teams and dormitories similar to their university counterparts.

What is a community college in the US?

Community college, sometimes called a junior college, is a two-year school that offers reasonably priced higher education as a pathway to a four-year degree. According to the American Association of Community Colleges there are 1,167 community colleges in the United States.

What are the disadvantages of a community college?

List of the Cons of Community College

• It is not an option for a 4-year degree in most circumstances.
• The workloads are often lighter at a community college.
• It can be difficult to stay invested in the program.
• There is no campus life at most community colleges.
• It is usually paid for directly.

Why is community college so cheap?

Across the board, community college is much more affordable. The average tuition is half that of a public university. Part of this is because community colleges are stripped down, avoiding things like big campus infrastructure and extracurricular programs that increase the overhead at large universities.

Is Community College a good option?

Attending a community college can be a good way for students to ease into the world of higher education and learn at their own pace. This makes community college a good option for nontraditional students like parents and older students who wish to balance school with family or career obligations.

Is it smarter to go to community college first?

Attending one for your first two years can allow you to make progress on your education. An additional benefit is that community college course schedules often offer flexibility, allowing you to take classes part-time if needed (tuition is usually by credit, not by semester).

Is community college hard?

On the other hand, many of the non-traditional students are much more serious about school than they were in or just after high school. Community college is still college. Moreover, you will likely find it difficult to transfer to a decently competitive four year college if you only took easy classes.

Do community colleges accept everyone?

Almost all community colleges are open-access, which means almost anyone who applies is accepted. Usually the highest degree a student can earn at a community college is an associate degree. Most community colleges are commuter schools and do not have housing for students.

Why are they called community colleges?

In several California cities, community colleges are often called “city colleges “, since they are municipally funded and designed to serve the needs of the residents of the city in which they are situated. The New York state government required that the county transform its technical institute into a community college.

How do community colleges help students?

Community colleges offer students the opportunity to save money, prepare for transfer to a four-year college, get ready for a career, try out college and take advantage of a flexible schedule.

In what states is community college free?

Which states have free community college? There are 17 US states that provide tuition- free community programs for eligible students. These are Arkansas, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Washington.

Is a 4.0 at a community college good?

Getting a 4.0 GPA in Community College is Easy Enough Although the exact specifications will differ by school, in most cases you will have to hold a 3.5 GPA or higher in order to receive this academic honor. So all you really have to do is keep your grades up, which most students are keen to do in any case.

Is college free in Arizona?

Arizona Resident Programs The College Attainment Grant and Obama Scholars Program, part of the ASU Advantage Program, make tuition- free attendance possible. The ASU College Attainment Grant Program is our commitment to Arizona’s low-income families – making college affordable and accessible.