If you were to ask any admissions counsellor or community college administrator what an articulation agreement is, they wouldn’t hesitate to tell you. Ask any student on a community college campus, however, and you might not get the same response. Articulation agreements exist between many colleges, yet the majority of community college students have no idea what they are.
An articulation agreement is designed to create a seamless transfer experience for students moving from community college to four-year institutions. Not every community college has them, but most do, and they are an invaluable resource for transfer students. Read on to learn more about what an articulation agreement is and how it can benefit you as a community college student.
The Trouble with Transferring
According to the Community College Research Center, roughly 40% of undergraduates in the United States start their higher education at community college. Of those, 80% intend to earn at least a bachelor’s degree and about 20% end up transferring to a four-year college or university.
In the eyes of an incoming community college student, the future is bright and community college is a steppingstone on the path to four-year school. Unfortunately, that path is not as easy to navigate as one would hope. Between the challenges of completing prerequisites and paying for tuition, many students take longer than anticipated to make the transfer, if they make it at all. Even then, the average transfer student loses over 40% of their credits which