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Post-secondary education is a journey, and a successful journey needs a good path. The more than 1,000 community colleges in the US are paths offering a huge choice of possible stops along your way. With programs ranging from full 4-year specialized bachelor's degrees, 2-year associate's degrees, diplomas, certificates, pre-professional and university-transfer programs, community colleges can give you the knowledge and experience you're looking for or be just the beginning of your exploration.Definition:
What are community colleges? At base, they are post-secondary institutions rooted in the communities they serve. Often, they are the main community source for post-secondary education and career skill updating and are considerably less expensive than universities (average annual tuition for public community colleges is $2,361).Offering mostly associate's degrees, but also
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Post-secondary education is a journey, and a successful journey needs a good path. The more than 1,000 community colleges in the US are paths offering a huge choice of possible stops along your way. With programs ranging from full 4-year specialized bachelor's degrees, 2-year associate's degrees, diplomas, certificates, pre-professional and university-transfer programs, community colleges can give you the knowledge and experience you're looking for or be just the beginning of your exploration.
Definition:
What are community colleges? At base, they are post-secondary institutions rooted in the communities they serve. Often, they are the main community source for post-secondary education and career skill updating and are considerably less expensive than universities (average annual tuition for public community colleges is $2,361).
Offering mostly associate's degrees, but also specialized bachelor's degrees and shorter diplomas and certificates, community colleges and technical institutes typically provide a more job-related curriculum than universities. Programs might include employment-related programs such as apprenticeship, but also range from health care and business to technology and the creative arts. The college itself may be public or private; large or small; rural or urban. It may be a general education school offering a variety of programs in different fields; be part of a school's network of campuses; or it may be a single field-, industry- or culture-specific college (e.g. agricultural college, institute of design, college of business, or Tribal college). There are also community colleges which are tied to specific faith affiliations.
Demographics
Community colleges represent almost half of the undergraduate students in the United States, which translates into 11.5 million students, more than half of whom are women. Many students apply directly from high school to either get a credential that will lead to a career or to fulfill university pre-requisites. In addition, university graduates might attend college upon completion of their degree in order to acquire the specific practical skills needed for employment. As a result, the average age of full-time community college and technical institute students tends to be higher than at university-about 29 years old. There are roughly equal numbers of students below 21 as there are students between 22 and 39. This means you share your classes with students from all walks of life at different stages of their educational journeys, which can help you get information and insight you might not expect or be able to get elsewhere.
Delivery
Community colleges serve the needs of a diverse group of learners, and therefore try to accommodate different study needs. This means students have quite a bit of flexibility with their programs and schedules. For instance, while 41% of community college students are enrolled full-time, 59% are taking part-time studies.
Admission requirements for community colleges can range from "open admission" (requiring only a high school diploma or GED, or simply that you be over the age of 18) to more specific academic requirements. Community colleges can also be stepping-stones into universities: a community college will often have what's called an "articulation" agreement with neighbouring universities. Articulation means a university agrees to recognize the community college's courses as credit towards a university degree. Therefore, if you want to transfer from a community college to a university, you may be able to carry-over the credits you've already earned from the college. For many students, this is an affordable way to approach their university education. In fact, half of all students who earn a baccalaureate degree have attended community college at some point during their studies. Check out our program-specific pages to learn more about what you can expect from the different fields of study at American community colleges.
Difference
Community colleges are dynamic institutions that adapt to meet the economic and social needs of the communities they serve. Part of their uniqueness lies in their combination of high quality and comprehensive academics with employer-centered programs and industry connections. Compared to universities, community colleges and institutes have smaller classes, more options for off-campus course delivery, a greater ratio of laboratory space to classroom space, a more interactive teaching style, more co-op and practicum opportunities and more inclusive admissions requirements.
Deciding:
So how will you decide? First you have to decide what you're interested in, then you have to find a school that offers it. Other factors like how long you want to spend in school, scholarships, tuition costs, distance from home etc., may also be factors. Schools in the USA's database of community colleges can help get you started. Once you've spotted a school that seems to suit your interest, check out their website. The site will tell you how to order a catalog and who to call. Then call or even go visit -- don't be shy! This is your education. So take the time to explore the rest of our section on community colleges in the USA for even more information to help you get on the right path for your future!
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Check out our database of About Community Colleges Schools and Programs
