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Gabrielle Allen

Prof. Monroe

ENG 1101

23 April 2021

Community College vs. Four Year University

Choosing a college is one of the hardest decisions to make in life. The two hardest decisions a

high school graduate has to make is choosing community college or a four year university. In each

college you will spend your next few years of your life dedicating your time and studies, so you want to

make sure you choose the best college for you. Each college has their pros and cons, differences and

similarities. Although the sound of attending a four year university sounds nice, it isn’t for everyone and

students should consider attending a community college. Being more educated about community colleges

can lead to going to college while avoiding loads of debt, having a more flexible schedule, and

availability to transfer agreements.

When deciding about which college to attend, a lot of students struggle with their decision. High

School students don’t really know if they want to continue school for another four years or what they

would like to major in. Starting off, a community college, sometimes called junior colleges, are two-year

schools that provide affordable postsecondary education as a pathway to a four-year degree. These

colleges are known for their distinct learning environment, and are recognized for smaller class sizes and

more individualized attention. Community colleges are less expensive than four-year schools, and can

also help avoid loads of debt. Tons of people end up going to four year universities and end up graduating

and not being able to find good jobs. They eventually get a job that did not require four years of school

and are labeled as overqualified. Former Secretary of US Labor, Robert Reich says, “Consider, for

example, technician jobs. They don't require a four-year degree. But they do require mastery over a

domain of technical knowledge, which can usually be obtained in two years.” Hocking College's

Executive Director of Marketing, Community and Public Relations, Tim Brunicardi says, “there are 1,167
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community colleges in the United States, and they are responsible for enrolling more than 12.4 million

students.” He describes the opportunity that community colleges gave more than 12 million students, and

that 12 million students were able to get a college education. Attending two year schools for four year

degrees can cause you to save up to $30,000 in debt. Digital Marketing Director, Quenosha Payton says,

“On average, two-year colleges cost $3,440 per year for in-district students, while four-year universities

charge a whopping average of $9,410 per year for in-state tuition.” Some may say, there are different

ways to lower your tuition for a four year college, such as scholarships and grants. They are right,

receiving scholarships and grants could potentially get you into college for free, but not everyone receives

the required grades and GPA needed to receive these rewards. Also, unless your ACT/SAT scores place

you in more advanced classes, your first year of undergraduate classes are likely to be the same regardless

of whether you attend a two-year college or four-year university. With that being said, why not attend a

less expensive school and save your money?

On another note, with attending a community college comes a more flexible schedule. A flexible

schedule includes students being able to learn at their own pace, more personal or one on one time, and

being able to balance life outside of school. The smaller the school is, the more flexibility you have to

switch majors. Tim Brunicardi says, “Although a large part of traditional students attend community

colleges, community colleges also cater to non-traditional students who might be coming back to school

while working and raising a family. Because of those types of conflicts, many community colleges offer

night classes and online capabilities to help their students complete their degree programs.” Because

community colleges allow more flexibility, one may come back to school after being out of high school

for years. Robert Reich stated that, “Community colleges offering two-year degree programs today enroll

more than half of all college and university undergraduates. Many students are in full-time jobs, taking

courses at night and on weekends. Many are adults.”

Another reason community colleges are more beneficial is because of their transfer agreements.

“According to National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data, 29% of community college students

who started in fall of 2011 transferred to a four-year institution within six years” ( Kerr, Mitchell 7).
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Some go to a two year college and transfer to a university for their last two years. Transfer agreements

save a lot of money as well. Tim Brunicardi said that, “People have been using Community Colleges as a

pathway to 4-year schools for years as a way to save money, so it is no surprise that community colleges

provide a ton of resources to students who are looking to transfer their credits.” Professor and Author,

Richard Vedder says, “More people, faced with the college decision, are compromising, going to two-

year schools knowing they have the option of switching to the more expensive four-year alternative for

the last two years (one of my Whiz Kids, Bob Villwock, has done precisely that, and very successfully).”

Many people would side with the idea that a four year university is more beneficial towards a student

athlete. Four year universities are excellent for athletes, but you can be an athlete, train those first couple

of years, and get a transfer for your last two years. If you choose to do this, you can play a sport for your

school as a “walk on” and potentially get offered a scholarship. In order to be a student athlete, you have

to keep your grades and GPA up and like I said before, some cannot do that which will cause them to lose

that scholarship money. There are also sports at specific community colleges depending on the location.

Overall, the two hardest decisions a high school graduate has to make is choosing community

college or a four year university. The benefits of going to a community college insist on going while

avoiding loads of debt, having a flexible schedule, and availability to transfer agreements. Community

colleges allow students to have more time when they are unsure about going to college or the major they

want to study. Two year colleges are less expensive than four year colleges; although you can earn a

scholarship to a four year college, you have to meet the required GPA, test scores, and grades. While

attending a community college, you are available to still have time to focus on your outside life,

especially adults who work or who have families. Also, if you would like to go to a two year school and a

four year college, you can transfer after your first two years. This is a cheaper alternative than just

jumping straight to a four year university, but also is a good option for student athletes. Athletes will be

allowed to train, take a break, or perhaps play a sport at a community college and transfer as a walk in to

a four year college. This is less expensive and you can also gain scholarship money while transferring.

When being more educated about community colleges you can gain a lot of benefits from the knowledge.
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Brunicardi, Tim. Community College vs University: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,

The Hocking College Experience, Hocking College, 19 June 2018,

https://blog.hocking.edu/community-college-vs-university-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

Accessed 29 Apr 2021.

Mitchell, Travis and Kerr, Emma. 10 Reasons to Attend a Community College vs.

University. U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, July 10, 2019

https://www.usnews.com/education/community-colleges/slideshows/10-reasons-to-attend-a-

community-college? Accessed 29 Apr 2021.

Payton, Quenosha. Where to Start: Community College or Four-Year University?

Colleges of Distinction, 16 Oct. 2020, https://collegesofdistinction.com/advice/where-to-

start-community-college-or-four-year-university/ Accessed 29 Apr. 2021.

Reich, Robert. "A Four-Year College Degree Is Not Preparing People for Today's Jobs."

How Valuable Is a College Degree?, edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2016. At

Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://go-gale-

com.sinclair.ohionet.org/ps/retrieve.do?

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Y-MOD1&prodId=OVIC&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE

%7CEJ3010971205&searchId=R3&userGroupName=dayt30401&inPS=true d6. Accessed

29 Apr. 2021.

Vedder, Richard. "Community College Is an Affordable Option." The Rising Cost of College,

edited by Ronald D. Lankford, Jr., Greenhaven Press, 2009. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing

Viewpoints, https://go-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/ps/retrieve.do?
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tabID=Viewpoints&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=

1374&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=1&docId=GALE

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%7CEJ3010584214&searchId=R2&userGroupName=dayt30401&inPS=true Accessed 29 Apr.

2021