Two years can be better than four

You already know about community colleges. There is probably one close to your house. Something you may not know, however, is that the decision to enroll in a community college before or instead of a four-year college or university may be the right decision for your student.

College tuition can be expensive. According to the Department of Education, the average cost of college tuition at four-year institutions in 2001 was $9,199 per year. A four-year private school as opposed to a public or state school was even more costly—an average $22,969 a year.

The average annual cost of a community college was $1,379.

Joan Athen, community college specialist at the Department of Education, says that cost is a prime reason for the rise in the popularity of community colleges. “Two-year institutions are very focused on learning. Students have less debt and can move into the workforce earlier,” she says.

Stephen M. Curtis, president of the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP), agrees that students are likely to make a decision based on cost. “Today’s recent high school graduates do not want huge debt and loans upon college graduation,” he says. “Financially, community college makes sense.”

Money isn’t the only reason to consider attending a two-year college. A two-year degree, or even a year spent at a community college, can springboard your teen into the four-year school of his choice. He’ll develop life skills that will impress admissions officers anywhere.

At Cornell University, about one third of the undergraduate transfer applicant pool comes from community colleges. According to Jason C. Locke, associate provost of admissions and enrollment at Cornell, the biggest difference between community college applicants and other applicants is that they are generally more mature and academically focused.

“Many have maintained part-time jobs while attending college, which means many have real-world experience and superb time-management skills,” Locke says. “Most are eager to take full advantage of the incredible opportunities an Ivy League or any four-year university offers. Perhaps more so than the typical new student.”

The downfalls of beginning a college career at a community college, Locke says, are the sometimes limited opportunities at a two-year institution. 

 “There are obviously trade-offs,” he says. “Certainly there are financial savings to be found. On the other hand, community colleges cannot always offer the academic opportunities available at a comprehensive university. It is all about choices. Some will forego these opportunities in order to save money and will plan to take full advantage of them when they arrive on a four-year campus.”

Curtis does not see any disadvantages to attending a community college.

For example, all of CCP’s credits are transferable to four-year schools. Every year, more than half of CCP’s graduates transfer to four-year schools to finish their bachelor’s degrees. CCP also offers dual enrollment options for students who know they want to continue after their associate’s degree.

Residents of New Jersey have an especially useful tool to use to determine which community college credits will transfer. At www.njtransfer.org, students can enter a community college course name into the search engine and choose the college to which they plan to transfer. NJTransfer.org then displays the equivalent course at the transfer school and the number of credits offerred. Users can also access the e-mail addresses of all the transfer coordinators at the state’s colleges and universities. Size also matters when it comes to choosing a community college.                        

“Students can experience greater interaction with their peers without getting lost in huge first-year lectures taught by graduate students, as well have access to both tutoring and academic advising,” says Curtis.

What type of student should start seriously looking at a community college? Any student, according to Curtis. “All types of students are best suited for the community college experience—high school graduates, adult students, professionals and senior citizens alike. The breadth of what community colleges have to offer, the variety of programs available and the level of preparation provided extends to all ages and to students with all levels of preparation,” he says.

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