Choosing a School
Whether you are a high school student, an adult student, or someone looking for retraining, we have all the resources you need to make an educated choice about the right community college for you. We’ll compare community colleges to other institutions of higher education, explore college rankings and the accreditation system, and provide useful tips to ensure your community college credits transfer easily.
View the most popular articles in Choosing a School:
- Transferring from Community College to a 4-year Institution
- The Reverse Transfer Process
- What is an Articulation Agreement and Why Should You Care?
- Why More Students are Choosing Community Colleges over Traditional Four-Year Schools
- How to Ensure Your Community College Credits Transfer to a 4 Year University
After transferring to a four-year institution, how do community college students fare? Learn about the reports and studies that shed light on community college student performance at the university level.
Students enter community college with plans to eventually transfer to a four-year university for a number of reasons. The student may have limited funds and will try to save money by getting lower division courses out of the way at community college, before heading to a university to complete major requirements. Some students may not have a high enough GPA at graduation to move directly into the university of their choice, so they take the first year or two of classes at community college until their GPA is high enough for a successful transfer.
No matter what your reason for transferring from community college, success in your academic endeavors is surely your ultimate goal. This article will explore the success rate of community college students that transfer to a four-year institution, as well as some of the factors that help determine performance after transferring.
No matter what your reason for transferring from community college, success in your academic endeavors is surely your ultimate goal. This article will explore the success rate of community college students that transfer to a four-year institution, as well as some of the factors that help determine performance after transferring.
What is Transfer Shock?
One concern for community college students transferring to four-year institutions is something commonly referred to as "transfer shock" in higher education circles. According to a report at the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) website, transfer shock refers to the dip in grade point average that is experienced during the first or second semester at a new school. Transfer shock is a concern for educators as well as students, and it may impact the number of transfer students a university may be willing to accept in any given year.
Transfer shock is a very real phenomenon that affects many transfer students
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Which four-year universities embrace the highest numbers of community college transfer students? Read this article to find out!
ASU - Photo Credit: Schwnj via Wikipedia Commons
For many community college students, the end goal is not simply an associate degree from their current school, but the ability to transfer to a university and earn a bachelor's degree. However, many community college students are dismayed to discover that the classes they paid for and worked hard in at their community college don't always make the transfer to the next step. To ensure the hard work completed at the community college level does not go by the wayside, we analyze the latest US News and World Report study that discusses the 10 most transfer-friendly universities around the country.
Transfer Rates
According to the US News and World Report study, more than a half-million community college students transferred into four-year colleges in 2009. There are a variety of reasons why students may choose to take this path to completing their education. Some like the more affordable tuition rates at community colleges and get as many of their credits at these less expensive schools as possible before completing their education at a university. Others find that after earning their associate degree, they want to pursue additional training and education in their field.
No matter what the reason for completing a transfer, students in this situation may discover that universities vary significantly in the amount of transfer students they accept and the resources provided to transfer students. For those who want to join this number in the future, it pays to research the best universities for transfer students, so they can
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Not all community colleges are created equal, and some may just be on the verge of losing their accreditation. Witness the turmoil and recovery in the battle for accreditation at several community colleges.
Community colleges are available in nearly every city across the United States, helping high school graduates and professional adults alike get the training and education they need to succeed in their chosen careers. A key component in a quality education from a community college is the school's accreditation that ensures the degree and education received will be recognized by other schools and professional industries. However, not all community colleges successfully keep their accreditation status intact, leaving students and faculty scrambling to legitimize the education process without this important stamp of approval.
What is Accreditation?
According to the Maryland Higher Education Commission, accreditation is "a voluntary process of self-regulation and peer review adopted by the educational community." This means that educational institutions have agreed to evaluate one another to determine whether each has successfully achieved their stated educational goals.
When a school is accredited, it has been proven to provide a quality of education recognized by the educational community at large. Accredited schools are better recognized for their coursework and credits earned, and students who attend these institutions are more likely to be able to receive financial aid or transfer credits to another college or university.
This video explains what educational accreditation is.
It is important to note that while there are a number of different types of accreditation available to colleges today, the only legitimate accreditation organizations are recognized by the United States Department of Education. Not all colleges that are approved by their
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A recent report found that graduates from Florida community colleges earned more than their state university counterparts. Learn more about the interesting results and their implications for your future earnings.
Since he took office, President Obama has been pushing to raise the community college graduation rate as an answer to our currently sluggish workforce and economy. A recent study on the earnings of college grads proves that the president might be right on track – at least in the state of Florida. The study, reported in the Miami Herald, shows that community college graduates tend to earn a higher average salary after school than students graduating from state universities.
What the Numbers Show
According to figures that were included in a report to the Florida State Board of Education Meeting held in December, community college graduates who earned associate in science degrees from Florida community colleges earned an average annual salary of $47,708 right out of school. By the same token, students who graduated from one of the state's 11 public university earned an average annual salary of just $36,552. The difference, around $11,000 per year, is not insignificant for those just starting out in the professional world, particularly those who might be graduating with a decent amount of student debt.
Graduates of vocational programs offered through community colleges also seemed to do well after graduation, with much less time invested up front. According to a report at Community College Spotlight, students who graduated from programs that took six months or less to complete earned an average annual salary of $37, 356. Those who completed certificate training in a specific industry earned an average $39,108 per year.
Edwin Koc, director
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Savvy students are taking advantage of dual enrollment programs that allow them to take courses at community college and a four-year university concurrently. Learn about the benefits and how you can take advantage of these programs.
Students who wish to earn a four-year degree but have limited funds to pay for a university have often been in a quandary over how to pay for their education. Some begin their college careers in less expensive community colleges, in the hopes of transferring to a four-year college once they earn their associate's degree. To expand the options for these students, some community colleges are teaming up with four-year institutions to provide dual-enrollment at both schools at the same time. We'll tell you how this dual enrollment works, what the benefits are and highlight some of the schools already using this model.
This video explains the dual enrollment program at Southwest Tennessee Commmunity College.
What is Dual Enrollment?
Students pursuing the dual enrollment option actually enroll in a community college and four-year university simultaneously. The student must be accepted into both schools before the dual enrolment can be completed. In most of these programs, students can take courses from either institution, and tuition rates are based on the college where the course is offered. In addition, students have access to facilities and services at both colleges, expanding their options in additional activities and resources.
Benefits of Dual Enrollment
There are many potential benefits of the dual enrollment model, including:
- Simplified admission process that allows students access to both colleges with one application
- Course planning and advising is coordinated for a more efficient degree track
- Financial aid is streamlined between the two schools
- Expanded options for student services, including
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