Traditionally, once a student graduated from high school, he or she was faced with two options: either attend a four-year university or enter the working world. However, according to Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project, as times change and the economy worsens, statisticians are seeing a shift towards a less conventional path of schooling (pewsocialtrends.org). That is, more and more people are enrolling in community colleges and then transferring to universities after two years. This increasingly popular path should be a serious consideration for high school students, as it poses many economic and social benefits.
One of the most significant differences between community colleges and four-year universities is the price. According to MSN Money’s website, attending a junior college for two years costs significantly less than the price of going to a university for the same amount of time, sometimes by 50 percent (money.msn.com). When paired with transferring to a public university for two years, an undergraduate can receive a Bachelor’s degree at a significantly reduced rate. In the current turbulent economy, it only makes sense to spend less money for the same outcome.
Going to a community college first can also help prepare students who are fresh out of high school for a more rigorous and trying environment, as well as give them time to get ready for leaving home. Counselor Michelle Barnier said, “[Initially attending a junior college] allows kids those two years to kind of stay with their parents in San Diego, giving them a couple of extra years to adjust.” By letting students get used to being out of high school, these transitional periods might also help reduce undergraduate dropout rates. According to a college scholarship website, the majority of university freshmen drop out because students haven’t grown accustomed to the four-year college workload. When students attend community college first, that transition is less of a problem (collegescholarships.org).
Universities, although more expensive, do offer some things a community college doesn’t. For example, according to Barnier, “You’d miss a few years of real college life, like the feeling of camaraderie that comes with the four-year colleges.” They also tend to offer a wider array of classes, with more specialized topics (scholarship.com). However, as the saying goes, college is what you make of it, whether it’s a university or not. Also, depending on which junior college it is, many of the classes and programs offered are just as highly developed and excellent as some given at a more expensive university. Most importantly, though, is that by transferring from a community college after a couple of years, students will have all of the opportunities a four-year university degree presents, without the four-year price tag.
The community colleges around San Diego, such as Mesa, City, Grossmont, and Palomar, are all wonderful choices, according to Barnier, and with California’s Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) Program guaranteeing qualifying community college students places in University of California and California State University schools, they provide great opportunities for UC High students. The TAG Program and others like it should be recognized for the potential benefits they offer and should be definitely considered when planning an academic future.