The Truth About Community College: Dispelling the Stigma

Community colleges have forever gotten a bad rap. Students are often threatened by their parents that they’ll end up at one of these institutions if they don’t do well in school and on standardized tests. In many ways, this type of school has become the “you’ll end up flipping burgers” cliché of the academic world. Regardless of all the put-downs, however, community colleges are actually incredible places full of affordable and enlightening opportunities. Before you write them off as lowbrow, consider some of their many benefits:

Cost: Picking up some credits for a few hundred bucks is a very different feeling for you and your checkbook than paying literally thousands of dollars per credit. If you can, it’s well worth the break for your wallet to take some of your required classes—which often transfer to your four-year university (but check first)—at a community college. You’ll be getting the credits and the knowledge for a lot less money. And if you’re funding school yourself, taking out loans, or coming from a family with more college-bound kids in the queue, this can make a great difference. Even better, you can often take these classes over the summer when you are in your home county looking for something to do until you head back to college.

Transferability: As mentioned above, many four-year colleges and universities will accept credits for classes taken at community or county college, particularly for those classes that serve as “core” or basic curricula, such as English or math courses. Be sure to check with your school before you apply to take courses at a county college, but chances are, you can find classes that will help you obtain more credits and, thus, provide a quicker path to graduation.

Faculty: The faculty at these schools is often diverse and eclectic. Some are educators who believe firmly in the mission of community colleges, and have, perhaps, turned down teaching positions at a more “prestigious” school in order to impact their community. Others are adjuncts, who often have a specialized knowledge in their field and also a hunger to share that knowledge. Still others are business professionals, professors at four-year colleges, and even working artists, teachers, therapists, and writers. The point is that “community college” should not imply a lesser academic experience. You might find inspiration from a professor at a community college just as readily as you might at your full-time, four-year school.

Accessibility: Chris Rock had a joke about how they call it community college “because anybody in the community can go.” But is that a bad thing, really? It is this accessibility that allows people who otherwise might not have this opportunity to begin building their futures. Many students who are either cash-strapped or otherwise unable to attend school full-time can use community colleges as jumping-off points into their academic careers. It is nice to know that this option is available and accessible…which is not a bad thing at all.

Community: This is a no-brainer, but yes, community colleges foster a sense of community. Offering opportunities from clubs to peer tutors to internships at local businesses, a community college truly lives up to its name. Don’t think that it’s just an “academic purgatory” that you’re stuck at if you don’t do well in high school: it can be a starting point to your educational journey and an academic family in which you can entrench yourself.

Written by Phil Lane