I graduated high school this year & I just started going to a CC, & I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t the best in high school but I did good. I chose to go to a CC because of the money as it’s only $3K/semester &, you can finish the other 2-years at a 4-year state school (with the same / similar major as the CC - & 4-year state schools are normally about $12K/semester in my state, & if you get a 3.0 GPA or better at a CC in Massachusetts (where I am) you can get a 33% tuition discount for the 4-year state college.
WHAT I’M ASKING, though, is this: What’s the catch? Is there one? If it is really a good option, why don’t more people go?
Many adult’s (mostly baby-boomer-age) that I’ve talked to have been like “oh, that’s a fine idea!” but my peers (from my senior year of high school) just looked at me awkwardly. I have a feeling that means something.
I’LL BE RESPONDING LATER, but I’ll leave it at this for now.
The disadvantages of starting at a community college listed in reply #1 are mostly applicable to students with high end high school credentials who can earn the merit scholarships, or gain admission to the more selective private universities with good need-based financial aid, some of which may be less generous to transfer students.
For students without high end high school credentials (i.e. with more limited options in terms of starting at an affordable four year school), starting at community college may be advantageous from a financial standpoint. It may also increased the available choices of four year schools to transfer to if one’s community college record is improved over one’s high school record. The main issue to be careful of is to make sure that the community college has coverage of the needed frosh/soph level courses for one’s major at the target four year schools.
Different states have different price and quality (in terms of offering transfer-prep course work) for their community colleges.
Another perspective: if you are able to transfer your credits to a four-year school and transfer and graduate on time, community college can be a financially appropriate decision. However, many community college students don’t end up transferring and never earn a bachelor’s degree. While 81% of entering community college students intend to transfer to a four-year school, only 33% do within six years. Of those 33% who do transfer, only 42% complete a bachelor’s degree within four years. So in other words, only 14% of an entering cohort of community college students will earn a bachelor’s degree within four years.
Of course, statistics are just statistics and don’t specifically dictate an individual’s choices. And I’m sure there are a ton of other factors and externalities that lead to that 14% number. But from a statistical standpoint, community college is not the best path to a four-year degree for the majority of people.
Most high school students have a skewed perspective on what CCs actually are. As bopper said, it’s usually a prestige thing, which is obvioualy ridiculous. Myself and my 2 sisters all went to CC’s, transferred, and graduated in 4 years. My Dad went to a CC in the 70’s and went on to have an extremely successful career, so mich so that he was able to retire at 55. I think it was quite a bit more normal and not looked down on as much back then, which is why you’re getting the differing reactions. Older people are also more aware that prestige isn’t everything. The vast majority of people didn’t to a “presriguous” college. I wouldn’t worried too much about the statistics posted above. As long as you work hard and get good grades you should be able to transfer and be prepared for the work at a 4 year.
The course offerings at community colleges are very limited beyond the most basic classes in each field (for the most part—some community colleges offer a few bachelor’s degrees). If you go to a university, you can take upper-level classes in your major during your freshman and sophomore years.
Because CC have open admissions, the academic caliber of the students will not be uniformly high. There’s a reason Michael Phelps doesn’t train at “open swim day” at the Y.
I have found around here that CC is a very viable option. Once the state tuition program has lost most of it’s funding many students are opting for CC to help keep costs down. Personally I think CC is a fine idea and feel more people should consider it.