Whether you are about to head to college (no matter what your age may be), if you have a child who is about to attend college, or if you know someone who is about to experience this, then this article is for you.
When I was around 17, I applied to several different colleges, but one mistake I made was that I didn’t even give community college a thought.
Unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to going to community college, like thinking it is for those that can’t get into a “regular” college, for those that don’t have enough money, or for those that have no other options. When, in fact, these are all far from the truth.
And, sadly, I bought into these myths and thought I was too good for community college. If you want to save money in college, community college is a great way to do that.
The stigma about going to community college is absolutely ridiculous.
And, I was a young kid, so, of course, I let other people’s opinions get to me. And, I thought everyone was right!
It isn’t just kids that believe those myths about community college, as even adults (parents or returning learners) buy into those myths.
Well, that is a big mistake!
For many people, community college should be their first choice.
College costs are increasing, and they’re not going to stop anytime soon.
According to College Board, the average yearly tuition and fees for a:
- Private four-year college is $32,410.
- Public four-year college for out-of-state students is $23,890.
- Public four-year college for in-state students is $9,410.
Community college, on the other hand, is just $3,440.
Those tuition differences are huge, and just look at how much you could save if you did only your first year at community college!
For many people, going to college means taking out loans, and according to a student survey done by Nerdwallet, 48% of undergrad borrowers said they could have borrowed less and still have afforded their educations. And, 27% regretted going to a school that required them to take out loans to afford their tuition.
I know this regret personally.
I only spent one summer semester taking classes at community college, where I earned 12 credits, and I still regret not taking more. I probably could have saved over $20,000 by taking more classes at my local community college.
Yes, I could have saved that much money!
Whether you are in college already or if you haven’t started yet, taking classes at a community college can be a great way to save money.
Today, I want to talk about common myths I hear about community college, so that I can persuade more people to give it a shot. It can save you so much money, and is a great option for a lot of people.
Related content:
- Should I Ruin My Retirement By Helping My Child Through College?
- FAFSA Tips So That You Can Get The Most Financial Help For College
- Learning How To Survive On A College Budget
- How I Graduated From College In 2.5 Years With 2 Degrees AND Saved $37,500
- How Blogging Paid Off My Student Loans
- 16 Best Online Jobs For College Students
- How To Go To College In Europe For $8,000 Or Less A Year
- How To Work And Go To College: 10 Tips That Will Help You Succeed
Here are common myths about attending community college:
But, all of my credits won’t transfer.
This is the top reason (and myth) I hear for not attending community college.
If you take the correct steps, the credits you earn at a community college will transfer.
If you decide to go to a community college first, always make sure that the 4-year college you plan on attending afterwards will accept all of your credits. It’s an easy step to take, so do not forget to look into this! You should take this step before you sign up and pay for any classes at the community college so that you are not wasting your time.
My four-year university made it easy and had a printed list of what transferred from the local community college – it’s seriously that easy! I’m sure many universities do this as well.
When I took classes for college credit in high school and at the community college, I made sure that all of the classes transferred to the university in which I was getting my degree from.
I have heard too many stories about people not checking this ahead of time and wasting years by taking classes that didn’t transfer, which means you are wasting time and money.
Make sure you get it in writing and talk to your college counselor as well about this. They can help you determine which ones will transfer and provide you proof of transferability.
Also, know that by accepting transfer credits, your four-year university is basically saying “these community college credits mean the same thing here.”
Community college won’t actually save me that much money.
I want to repeat, the average yearly tuition and fees for a:
- Private four-year college is $32,410.
- Public four-year college for out-of-state students is $23,890.
- Public four-year college for in-state students is $9,410.
And, community college is $3,440.
As you can see, college tuition is a significant amount of money, and it is a drastic difference between four-year institutions and community college.
Now, the problem here is that many people “afford” college by taking out student loans, so the amount of money you are paying for college isn’t an immediate thing that you “feel” – because it’s all debt!
Note: If you are a parent and you are thinking about taking on debt to put your child through school, please, please, please consider having them attend community college first. Please, also read Should I Ruin My Retirement By Helping My Child Through College?
The classes won’t be as good.
I’ve heard this community college myth over and over again. Many people think that the classes won’t be “good enough” for them. That is usually far from the case, though. Your first two years, no matter where you go, are most likely going to consist of very generic classes or classes that are similar, if not the same, as ones at the four-year college you are thinking about attending.
It’s usually not until the last two years, after you get those beginner classes and electives out of the way, that your classes really begin to matter for your degree.
And, if you’re afraid you really need more of those beginner classes from a four-year college, I recommend at least taking a summer semester or two at your community college for elective classes. There are usually lots of elective options at community college, and you can at least take those at a more affordable rate. That is exactly what I did – one summer while I was attending my four-year college, I enrolled at the community college for a bunch of electives. I was able to easily, and affordably, knock out a bunch of electives.
My degree will be worth less coming from a community college.
When you graduate with a four-year degree, the school name on your diploma will be the name of the college you graduated from. It won’t say, “graduated from here but took some classes at community college.” This is because your community college credits transferred (if you followed the step above).
So, no worries here.
Nowhere on my college degree does it say that I took some classes at the community college.
Did you attend community college? Why or why not?
Leave a Reply
You make some really great points here Michelle. With the insane cost of 4 year college continually going up, more people should consider Community College for sure. I would even take it a step further and say that some people should seriously think about what they might want to do in life and consider not going to college at all if they think their value to society would be better placed in a different kind of work. Of course, not many kids have that much knowledge and self-awareness at the age of 18.
Yes, I agree!
I think community college is a great idea. Especially to get courses that transfer at a cheaper cost.
I actually went to a community college a couple of years after graduating from high school. I didn’t really know anybody that went to college or even thought it was an option. I just wanted a better job. So I decided to go get a 2 year degree while working which took me a little longer than 2 years.
After I graduated and got hired my employer paid me to take work related classes at a regular college and I ended up with a four year degree after about 10 more years. That was real good deal. It’s not that hard to work and go to school a little bit at a time.
I have a long ways to go before my kids will be old enough for college, and I’m not sure if canada has the same structure. All I know is that they will go to the cheapest place! I graduated from an online college, and it definitely didn’t break the bank. I would do that again.
Yeah, I have a very long way before I have to think about this again, haha.
While most people in the US use the terms “college” and “university” interchangeably, this is not the case in Canada. When people say university in Canada, they are usually referring to a 4-year school which grants a Bachelor’s Degree at graduation. When people say college in Canada, they are usually referring to a 2-year or 3-year program which grants an Associate’s Degree (or degree in a specialized trade) at graduation. The latter is most like a community college in the US.
Great post. There certainly was a stigma attached to community college when I was making that decision. Looking back, the price I paid for a 4-year wasn’t that bad and I didn’t have that much in student loans, but if I had to do it in this day and age when prices have skyrocketed community college would definitely be the way to go stigma or no stigma.
Yes, same here!
Great list, it worked for me!
I would also add that not everyone finishes at a four year college. From a community college, one could at least get a certificate or associates degree. My brother found his future career in his second year of community college and is now a successful business owner in a field that didn’t exist when he was in school.
Another point is maturity and personality. Living in a dorm is not required for education, some would do much better growing up a bit first before or instead of going away to college.
You never know where life will take you!
Yes, exactly!
I’ve found this discussion to be a fascinating one. In the end, I think it depends on the student.
A bright, motivated and high achieving student can certainly make CC work and realize huge savings.
I did not go this route. I got into my #1 choice of 4-year college and was accepted into the major I wanted. Going to a CC and transferring would not have guaranteed me that spot. Being in a top four-year school from day one was competitive. To keep up, I needed to work hard and I did. By going to a four-year school, I got a great education and ended up with a good job. Sure, it would be nice to have started with more money in the bank or less debt but I can’t argue with the result I got myself.
I also really appreciate the non-academic life lessons I gained from going to college away from home. Those lessons may have been more valuable than the classes themselves.
Had I chosen CC, maybe it would have worked out? Or maybe I would not have studied as hard and had the same success. I was not as self-motivated back then. Being surrounded by top students really motivated me to succeed. The few CC classes I took over the summer did not have the same competitive environment that motivated me.
Different things work for different people!
I had this exact snootiness when I was 18! That is, until I was 21 and realized I could graduate early if I took summer courses at a community college. You bet I paid $2,000 for these classes to save $25,000 in tuition. 🙂
I’m going to say what I’m not supposed to say, though: the community college was NOT as rigorous or useful as my university courses. Did it give me the credits and basic knowledge to do what I needed? Sure. Did it save me A LOT of money? Absolutely.
I’d still recommend taking basics at a community college, especially if they’re in subjects you need for a degree but aren’t passionate about. Pay for the university courses that you’re more interested in to make the most of tuition.
Yes, I agree. My CC classes weren’t as difficult, but it was a way to get the electives out of the way.
Every CC is different as well as every University. Rigor doesn’t necessarily mean being better equipped in the end. It’s all in what you do with it.
I definitely agree with the rigor aspect. I’ve taken courses at a community college that were way easier than the courses my friends took at universities. However, I believe that some universities make basic classes that are only taken to fill requirements harder than necessary, so I am very thankful I was able to take the easy way out!
I went to community college also. Went on to get my 4 year degree and then on to my MBA. I recommend community college for everyone. Get all your core classes out of the way.
Yes, for sure!
This is a great post! I worked in marketing at a community college for several years and the stigmas addressed in this post were exactly what we were up against when it came to enrollment.
As a person who has 2 degrees from a 4-year university, thousands of dollars in student loans, and no job in either of the fields I studied (the 2008 recession was a doozie), I am definitely an advocate of community colleges…especially to help cut down on the ridiculous amounts of debt.
I took summer classes at my local community college and it saved me several thousand dollars in tuition costs. Otherwise, my student loans would be even higher right now.
It’s a good option that I hope more students will start to seriously consider.
Yes, more students need to consider this option.
Honestly I never even considered looking into community college when I was looking into post high school education. My relatives and friends all went to/were going to university, so CC was just never on my radar. Interesting post! I will say that some people I met out in the real world (post university!) who had gone to CC are among the highest income earners I personally know.
That is great to know!
Both of my oldest kids went to Community college then transferred to a state college that accepted their AA degree credits in total. My younger kids are doing CLEPs, DSST, Straighterline and Study.com to transfer credits to our local College (saving us over $20K in expenses. The local college is $8900 a year). My oldest kids were stuck on certain colleges, but I discouraged them from taking out massive loans. They also noted that some of their peers that went to those expensive colleges returned to community college because they weren’t ready for the rigor, the distance or the cost.
That is great Nita!
Both of my kids received their AAs from a community college. All of their credits transferred. Then they attended the local state university and lived at home. I am proud to say that none of us (parents or kids) have ANY college debt.
When it comes to the quality and academic rigor, I think a lot depends on where you live. Here in Mass. the community college course syllabi are just as rigorous as the 4-year colleges’. My son, for example, took a course in Film Criticism at CC, and the book they used was the updated edition of the book I used in graduate school. While your mileage will vary, community college is a very affordable alternative. It is also a good introduction to college for the kid who may be less socially adept. The CC my kids attended was smaller than their high school, and it was a great experience for both of them.
I’ve always talked up the idea to my kids that our local community college will save a ton of money by going there for 2 years but my son right now, is a sophomore at Rutgers university. A few of his friends stayed back in town and are going to the community college, planning to transfer to Rutgers as juniors. One thing that I didn’t take into consideration, is that by now as a sophomore, he’s involved with a business fraternity where he’s made connections with upper class student coaches, alumni, has been to a lot of business related training, and is interning one day a week at a securities firm in Manhattan. When I think of his friends transferring there in the Fall, it seems like they’ll be playing a lot of catch up, getting to know their way around. Financially, community college definitely makes the most sense, and the education is there if you take advantage of it. And in a job interview, it’s probably more important to be able to think on your feet than be able to say you went to XYZ University for 4 years.
I think it really depends. You can definitely just get an internship or a job while still in CC, and get similar skills. I worked full-time all throughout college and I received several job offers, and every single one of those hiring managers told me that I was the only person my age they ever interviewed who worked full-time, and that it significantly set me apart from everyone else.
I went to Community College right out of high school for a few reasons. I received a 2 year scholarship to my local community college through a local program at my high school, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my future. I felt a HUGE stigma about going to community college. The biggest realization of this was noticing at a 4.0GPA luncheon for the 3 local high schools, I was the only one attending that was planning on going to a 2 year college rather than a 4 year. Made me feel dumb.
However, I earned my associates degree, lived at home, WORKED and SAVED money, only payed for books and supplies, and eventually decided on my major, electrical engineering.
I found nothing to be bad about community college. In fact, a lot of my teachers were more passionate about their teaching than teachers in my 4 year college.
I found community college to be a great way to explore electives, try new things, and save up money, all while staying out of debt.
I did have to take out loans to afford the rest of my engineering degree at my state university. But, I continued to work, I lived at home, and I payed for as much tuition up front as I could. I ended up with only $5,000 in loans and payed it off in less than a year out of college since I was able to find full time employment in my field while in school.
Great job Valerie!
I didn’t consider the community college near me – probably because of snootiness but also because it was too close to my parents haha
But the option I went with was a top 25 state school that was also super cheap (though a little more expensive these days). With the combo of scholarships and work-study, I paid practically nothing for 4 years. I’d definitely recommend that as another option over expensive private schools. It’s a myth that tuition fees correlate to quality and of course, YMMV but I went to a very expensive graduate school and felt the state school quality was much better (there’s probably some psychology behind this too – e.g., maybe I expected more because I paid more).
Overall I think students pay way too much for a lot of schools and get into debt without realizing the consequences. More adults need to do a better job of making sure high school kids understand and take that into consideration.
Yes, definitely!
Thank you for this post Michelle. How timely, as my son and I just visited our community college this morning for some information and decision-making. He will start there in the fall, attend for two years and then transfer to a 4-year university. He is fine with it. There is no shame in saving money, nor should there ever be! 🙂
Awesome!
Great post, Michelle! My husband and I are both products of community college and state schools…he went on to earn a doctorate in optometry. I was able to work, live at home, and start my career while I went to school, so I graduated without any student loan debt. This wouldn’t have happened if I went away to college, and I do not regret it one bit. The plan is for our daughter (currently 3) to also attend community college. We, and countless family members, have successful careers and went to community college. It was good enough for us, so it’s definitely good enough for her.
Wow, great job!