Community Colleges
Consider as the Next Step in the Path Toward a High-paying Career

For millions of high school graduates across the country, community colleges may be the first stop in their paths through higher education and into a career. Many of these graduates may only have a generalized notion of what a community college is – a notion likely limited to the fact that a community college is less expensive, and the time necessary to complete a degree is shorter. The fact is, a community college is much, much more than this – and all high school graduates should know what these institutions have to offer.

The primary difference between a community college and a four-year university is that a community college is truly focused on the needs of students, both traditional and nontraditional. This focus is not limited to lower tuition and an open admissions policy. This focus is about accessibility. Community colleges can offer classes at times and places most convenient for the students they serve. The emergence of online learning has been embraced by two-year colleges and offers an even higher degree of flexibility and convenience.

A key component of the community college mission is to produce graduates that possess the requisite skills to handle a wide-range of in-demand jobs that do not require a four-year degree, but do require more than a high school diploma. Such jobs include nurses, emergency medical technicians, accounting clerks and police officers. Moreover, community colleges have to ability to quickly adapt and create programs tailored for fast-growing industries such as alternative energy and computer sciences.

It is the goals and subjective needs of the individual student that should drive the decision about where to obtain post-secondary education. There are those high school graduates that are not sure about a career choice, and choose a community college to begin their educational journey close to home and at an affordable price – then move on to a four year university to finish their degree. There are those high school graduates who are working and need the flexibility that only community college curriculums can offer, and also those students looking for hands-on training in high-demand fields. Finally, there are students who are looking for only certain courses of interest to them, or courses necessary for current workers to adapt to a rapidly changing job market.

Community colleges have become an important part of post-secondary education in the United States, largely due to the capabilities discussed above. High school graduates nationwide should consider a community college as they begin their paths toward a career.

Provided by Luke Pickelman, Director of Legislative Affairs, Michigan Community College Association.