Whether you’re making plans for after your high school graduation or thinking about a career change, the question, should I attend community college? has likely crossed your mind.
With good reason too. These two-year public colleges award associate degrees and certifications, help students finish general education courses and kickstart rewarding careers.
Reasons to Attend Community College
Associate Degree Holders Make More than High School Graduates
Earning an associate degree will help you earn more than you could with only a high school diploma.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), associate’s degree holders had median weekly earnings of $887 in 2019. Employees with a high school diploma earned just $746. That’s a difference of $7,332 per year.
Even if you start at a community college and don’t graduate, you’d still out-earn those with only a high school degree. Workers with some college, no degree had median weekly earnings of $883 in 2019.
You’ll Have an Easier Time Finding a Job
There are More Good Jobs Available for Associate Degree Holders
A study from Georgetown University in 2017 found that America is seeing a shift toward skilled-services industries. That means more good jobs for those with some college or an associate degree and fewer for those with only a high school degree.
From 1992 to 2016, there was a 3.2 million increase in good jobs for associate degree holders and a 940,000 increase in good jobs for those with some college but no degree. High school graduates experienced a decrease of 1 million good jobs during that same period.
To see just how good of a job you can get, check out our list of the highest paying jobs you can get with an associate degree.
There are Lower Unemployment Rates for Associate Degree Holders
Community college graduates experience lower unemployment rates than those with only a high school diploma. The unemployment rate for associate degree holders in 2019 was 2.7% vs. 3.7% for high school graduates. This follows a trend the BLS sees year-after-year: as educational attainment increases, unemployment rates decrease.
It’s Cheaper than a Four-Year School
Starting at a community college and then transferring to a four-year university to finish your bachelor’s degree will save you a lot of money.
Let’s see just how much:
Published tuition and fees for full-time undergraduate students for the 2020-2021 school year
- Public two-year in-district college: $3,770
- Public four-year in-state: $10,560
- Public four-year out-of-state: $27,020
- Private nonprofit four-year: 37,650
Spending your first two years at a community college versus a public four-year college costs an average of $13,580 less. The savings compared to attending a private university are even more massive at $67,760.
Of course, how much you’ll pay for community college tuition also depends on where you live. For example, prices range from as low as $1,430 in California to as high as $8,600 in Vermont.
It’s a Good Way to See if College is Right For You
The switch from high school to college-level work can be hard for students. Especially if you’re spending tens of thousands of dollars a year at a four-year university and feel pressured to take a full course load so that you graduate on time.
Community college can help ease the transition to college-level work. You can take a full semester or just one or two classes. If you need help, community colleges offer tutoring programs, office hours, and classes on study skills and time management.
If it turns out that college isn’t the right fit for you, at least you gave it a shot and only invested a minimal amount of money.
It Can Help You Figure Out What You Want to Do
Deciding what you want to do with your life when you’re a teenager can feel overwhelming. Many four-year schools expect students to know what major they want to study. Community college is a useful tool that you can use to help you figure out your career path before shelling out lots of money for your education.
Some community college students just take general education courses to stay on track while they explore different career options in their free time. Others might spend a semester trying out a few different options until something clicks. Either way, you’re able to find yourself and figure out your career goals with only a minimal investment.
Fields of study you might find yourself studying at community college include:
- Automotive Technology
- Baking and Pastry
- Building Construction Management
- Cabinet Design
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Dental Hygiene
- Early Childhood Education
- Graphic Design
- HVAC
- Massage Therapy
- Medical Assisting
- Medical Laboratory Technician
- Nursing
- Paralegal Studies
- Respiratory Therapist
- Welding
- Wildlife Management
Community College Offers Flexibility for Working Adults and Student Parents
Most community colleges cater to commuters—with no or limited on-campus housing available. This creates a different type of college culture than you’d find at a big university or a tight-knit private school. It’s a school culture with more flexible class options and with more students of all ages.
This makes community college a great option for working adults and student parents. You can complete classes online, take night classes, pay for just a few credits at a time, or schedule classes around your work schedule.
Some community colleges are planning to do a lot more for student parents by offering specialized programs. Here are a few examples:
- Arapahoe Community College in Colorado: No-debt healthcare apprenticeship program for student parents where the parents get paid to try out a career in healthcare
- Everett Community College in Washington: Weekend College for Parents program where parents take weekend-only college courses and have access to drop-in childcare
- Dallas College: Funds to help student parents afford non-tuition expenses like nursing uniforms and GED testing
Before Attending Community College, Know This
Community college certainly does sound great, but there are two things you should know before signing up for your first class.
1. Your Credits Might Not Transfer
If you’re going to community college intending to transfer to a four-year school, you need to plan ahead. Not all community college credits will transfer to every four-year college/university or count for every academic program.
Talk to the school you want to transfer to before starting at community college. Find out ahead of time which classes will transfer and which won’t. In some states, community colleges and public state schools already have transfer agreements in place that you can find on the state school’s or community college’s website.
Having a transfer plan ahead of time will ensure that you’re not spending money or time on classes that won’t help you earn your bachelor’s degree.
2. It Isn’t Always Cheaper
In general, community college saves you thousands of dollars compared to a four-year school. However, if your ultimate goal is to attend a four-year school, it’s still worth applying to a few—especially some nearby options.
Some private universities offer generous financial aid packages and merit-based scholarships to incoming freshmen. Even if a four-year school looks more expensive on paper, it might not be. You could qualify for need-based financial aid like federal grants, state grants, school grants, and/or scholarships. It might even be enough to cover the cost of tuition while you live at home or the full cost of attendance.
Apply to a few, file the FAFSA, and see what happens. If those options are still too expensive, community college will still be there.
Final Thoughts On “Should I Attend Community College?”
Community college provides students with a cost-effective way to launch a new career or complete the first half of a bachelor’s degree. Earning a degree there can help you earn more, secure a better job, and save money too.
If you do decide community college is right for you, go into it with a plan in place. Maybe it’s a plan to help you pick a major within a year. Or a transfer plan so you can transfer to a four-year school without losing any credits. Perhaps your plan is to take one class, so you can figure out how to balance parenting, school, and work.
For more helping deciding whether or not you should attend community college, check out these articles:
