Community Colleges: Cheaper but Not Necessarily Better
Reader Comments
CC
Many in this thread have it absolutely 100% correct, focus on education is key. Many 18-25 year olds lack such a focus, on this level and at major universities. If you are just going because mommy and daddy say you must--don't. Take some time, get a job, grow up, and get a life. Take the coummunity college coursework that will transfer. Then go. Otherwise it is a big waste of time and energy for everyone.
Community colleges are not the people's university. The Public Library is. Until they realize they can't do it all, they are doomed to failure of some of the people served, some of the time.
Comm College Advantage
I attended Comm College before getting my bachelors. You really have to stay focused and be motivated. I have seen people take 4 or 5 years to complete a 2 year program. I completed the 2 years in 18 months by working like a crazy person ie. summer and winter classes. I wouldn't recommend it for working professionals because it is too easy to get discouraged.
The level of education provided by the comm colleges should be closely monitored and they should be kept up to standard. In addition the advice is good. Design your program well. I think the money should barely go to infrastructure. Pay good professors to teach and you'll have better graduates and easier transfers. Also design the programs to give ppl basic sex ed, writing and reasoning skills, and build up paraprofessional programs. Let vocation oriented folks do two years. That way more folks will have access to any college. I think it is a good program on the federal level, but Obama's programs are misunderstood...
This is a biased article.
yeah, this article pretty biased considering that USNEWS releases a book ranking all of the nation's universities, rankings which are highly questionable by the way.
community college
I just got in to Michigan State University from community college. People need to take community college seriously and pay attention to transfer credits. Without community college I could not have gained admission to one of the nations top public schools. I also paid less money to take the classes I should have taken in high school rather than pay to take them at a 4 year school.
Bachelor's Completion at Community College
I'm currently a sophmore in a community college. The reason being my state awarded full tuition to deserving high school students to attend the college, and also offers tuition towards certain four year colleges in the state. Although I wasn't raised on much, I never once thought I wouldn't attend college and this was a perfect opportunity for me as well as my parents. From what I've seen, the college works hard to make sure its students transfer. NJ (where I live) now has a law to which no four-year can deny any credit from 2-year schools.
Also at my college there are quite a few opportunities to be a student at a four-year school, but attend the classes at the 2-year college, saving even more money. For example, Drexel, Fairleigh Dickinson.. There are guaranteed transfer programs as well, in which students have an outlined course and are guaranteed to be accepted into whichever four-year they had studied for. There are a lot of possibilities given by the community college.
community college the better deal?? YES!!!
I currently am a nj community college freshman. If a senior in high school asked me whether to attend a 4 year university or a community college I would say save the money and go to community college. As a freshman I have seen the best and worst. At community college there is no doubt you will get a adjunct or a TA for a intro to art or intro to psyc class, but guess what its the same at a 4 year school. Ask any 4 year college student whether they go to Yale or Drexel University how many adjuncts theyve had. I guarantee its the same amount or more than the community college. This past year I had a professor in history, psychology, english. They got their educations from temple and lasalle university. Also the comment about getting a degree from a 4 year college in this article is completely false. Say you go to a community college for your associates and transfer to a 4 year university. Your degree will state a Baculeratte degree of so and so University. It says nothing about the community college you attended. THIS IS MY ADVICE TO SOPHMORES,JUNIORS,SENIORS, AND COLLEGE FRESHMAN OR ANY COLLEGE STUDENT. Go back to your local community college and get your associates then transfer youll go from paying 1,000.00 a credit to 100.00 a credit. All youll miss is the 4 days you stay in your dorm and maybe some parties. All I have to say is 4 year schools might have a detailed and beautiful website, excellent professors in their fields, and lovely students. BUT look behind it because behind every beautiful college there are are false comments on the internet{SHOCKER}!, TAs and adjuncts who dont teach, and students spend 95% of their time getting high and getting drunk.
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Community Colleges
Seems typical, a Harvard Professor feels qualified to speak about American egalitarianism! Most students attend community college because they can't meet the entrance requirements to state universities and prestigious institutions, all selective in their admissions process. Community Colleges are open enrollment institutions not selective in their admissions process. I would hope that students, who have been screened by the 4 year academic "gate keepers," would have higher graduation rates than open admission institutions. This woman deserves a Nobel prize for that one! How could one studying community college success rates not consider the open enrollment factor?
Community Colleges are the only hope of formal education for many deserving Americans. It is democracies’ college, that is its mission. Many community college students transfer to four-year institutions and complete BS, BA degrees. As a community college professor I have a range of students in my classes. Some of my students have transferred to Cornell, Notre Dame, Chapel Hill, as well as lesser known four-year colleges and universities, and without the community college these students would never have been able to realize their academic potential. Lets give some credit to Americas’ community colleges.
NJ Community colleges
There is currently a New Jersey law that forces all Universities in New Jersey to accept all transfer credits from students with Associate degrees from community colleges. I went to community college after High School because I didn't have any idea as to what I wanted to do with myself. Afterwards I went to a four year University and received my four year degree. I spent a combined $30,000 on all four years of my education. While some of my friends obtained the same degree at private schools for $30,000 or more a year. I have 0 student loans at this time.
NJ Community colleges
There is currently a New Jersey law that forces all Universities in New Jersey to accept all transfer credits from students with Associate degrees from community colleges. I went to community college after High School because I didn't have any idea as to what I wanted to do with myself. Afterwards I went to a four year University and received my four year degree. I spent a combined $30,000 on all four years of my education. While some of my friends obtained the same degree at private schools for $30,000 or more a year. I have 0 student loans at this time.
