Last Updated on March 18, 2021 by Filip Poutintsev
Students graduating from high school every year are forced to face the reality of their next move. One of those steps is to find a suitable college for yourself and your future career. 
For a student who is unable to go to college, or who simply does not feel ready, community college is a great alternative to conventional universities, though they come with some pros and cons.
Community colleges will make it much easier and much more cost-effective to transition to a university than starting a college career at a standard university. They offer many different types of educational programs to earn a bachelor’s degree, such as associate degrees, professional trade degrees, vocational certificates, and transferable credits. It offers much more flexibility to college students in their decisions.
Community colleges are publicly financed post-secondary schools which, regardless of your GPA, gender, major, age or financial status, are open to all. Some of the benefits of community college has been discussed below:
Benefits of Community College
1. Affordable
Because of their lesser numbers, two-year colleges are less costly than four-year universities. Tuition, taxes and costs for housing easily add up. The College Board reports that $2,963 is the total expense for 2-year schools, while an average of $9,000 is for a 4-year university.
Paying at a local school for the first two years will be equal to thousands of dollars in savings. Select a school that helps you to pass your credits to an approved 4-year university, regardless of the school you attend, as the first two years happen to be the same basic education requirements.
2. Opportunity to Improve Transcripts
To further cover the high cost of tuition, you know you should apply for college scholarships. However, you would not qualify for most scholarships if your high school transcript is less than rosy. That’s where you can be helped with community college. At a community college, earning straight A’s will help you receive scholarships that may not have been open to you before.
In addition, if you aspire to attend a prestigious private university, but have not been accepted from high school, attending a community college can help your admission chance. Not only will you have a second chance at receiving a stellar transcript, but since there is less competition, you will also have a higher chance of being admitted as a junior than as a freshman.
3. Living Costs
Tuition isn’t the only cost you have to remember as you go off to college. The added costs of gas, vehicle repairs, and other living expenses also have to be weighed. Moving and finding an apartment to rent or paying for a dorm room is a big cost if your dream school is in another state.
Two years of attending community college mean you would be able to live at home, saving hundreds on rent and electricity expenses per month. Sure, living in a dorm and attending frat parties is not as glamorous, but neither is graduating with $40,000 in student loan debt.
4. Flexible Schedule
Many students don’t know that community college is the best choice if they intend to work while attending school. They offer far more night classes and more options for schedules than other universities. The workload is lighter than that of a state school or private university and it typically does not require attendance.
5. Enough Support
Basic classes often have 150 to 300 students at a four-year university, whereas the same class can have 25 to 35 students at a community college. This allows students more chances to meet with their teachers or ask for assistance if they need it, resulting in stronger commitment and greater overall school success.
As part of their employment contract, many tenured professors at four-year schools do the study or have to fulfil publishing obligations. Professors in two-year schools also have fewer students each semester, but since they have more time to offer, you are more likely to obtain assistance and help.
6. Can Transfer Credits
No matter where you choose to begin your schooling, you can still graduate elsewhere. Many states have a transfer program set up so that you can attend a community college for the first two years and complete your degree at a bigger level.
7. Easier GPA, ACT/SAT Requirements
There are no difficult GPA standards for community colleges and they typically do not require ACT or SAT grades. However, to measure your academic strengths and weaknesses, most community colleges require you to take a placement test. Bear in mind that this type of placement test is not a pass or fail a test, it just helps to decide the classes in which you will enrol.
Admission counsellors normally lead you on your chosen path during your first term. You will always have a say on what courses you choose to enrol in, but some of the courses can need prerequisites to enrol.
8. Great Workplace Skills
They offer many hands-on opportunities since community colleges prefer to concentrate on training students for the workplace or technical jobs. Students in a dental hygiene program, for example, might actually operate in a dental clinic while not in class or the community college might actually have one on campus that can be accessed at a reduced price by the public. Internships and volunteer opportunities are often frequently available, providing on-the-job training to students that helps prepare them for a career or resume there.
9. Qualified Professors
Everyone starts somewhere. Some of the professors are going to be fresh from a master’s program, but many are going to be well-seasoned scholars who have an impressive resume. Community college for students is just as versatile as they are for teachers. Many active teachers teach part-time at community schools in order to allow plenty of time to concentrate on their own pursuits and career objectives.
10. Helps Explore Interests
Rather than spending thousands at a top university on a major that you are less than sure of when making your decision, consider attending a community school. Classes cost less, because you will have the chance to explore interests you would have followed otherwise.
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