As tuition rise and the cost to complete a four year degree continues to outpace inflation, many students are taking the opportunity to earn college level credits or an Associate's degree at a Community College before transferring to a four-year institution for their Bachelor's degree.

In addition, Community Colleges may have other advantages, such as convenient locations and flexible course scheduling.  Community Colleges are the best education value in American - according to college enrollment experts like Tim Brown from California who has advised thousands of students.  You can take courses part-time or full-time.  You can take courses online or in class.  You can take course assessments such as CLEP and get credit without sitting in class.  And, you can request credit for life experiences. 

If you decide that Community College is the choice for you, here are some things to take into consideration:

How about the Community College lifestyle?

If you have dreams of hanging out in the dorms and cheering at Saturday football games, community college may not be for you. Generally, community colleges are not set up with dormitories, so instead of hanging out with your room-mate, you may be living at home with Mom and Dad – more potential savings on room and board!! However, many community colleges offer a wide variety of activities that provide opportunities for socializing. Check out the school's web site under headings such as Student Life or Community Calendar to see what is happening on campus. Click here and find a Community College near you promoting a transfer friendly environment.

Check out the courses offered and their transferability

Community College courses can be divided into different types.  Some courses are remedial - which means they are designed to bring the student's knowledge and skills up to college level.  These course, by most accounts are not good candidates for transfer.  A second type of course can be described as technical - such as a course designed to teach Microsoft Office tools.  These courses are often very narrow and not transferable to a degree path.  The third type of course are subject and disciplines that have equal rigor and course content as peer institutions.  This third type of course should be transferable and applicable to many four year programs.  Explore and canvas the Course Atlas by Community College to see how courses would be acceptable to other institutions.  

Does the community college have transfer agreements with four year schools where you can earn a Bachelor's degree?

Check out CollegeTransfer.Net's massive database of Transfer Guides and Agreements.   Or, check out the community college's web site, under Student Services or Transfer Services, to find this information.   Each transfer profile links to the school's URL's and transfer policies.  Usually there will be documents that list the courses that you can take at the community college that will be accepted at the four year school when you transfer. In some cases, you may have to pursue a specific degree and major in order to be accepted at the four-year school. In other cases, a general studies degree will provide you access to a number of different majors when you transfer to the four year school. Planning ahead and knowing your options is the best way to make your transfer successful.

If you are unable to find any information about transfer to four year schools on your targeted community college's web site, this may not be a good sign. However, follow up with a counselor in the Admissions office or advising center to make sure that you haven't missed anything. They may have transfer agreements, but not posted on their web site or on CollegeTransfer.Net.

Does the four year school in which you are interested accept transfer students?

Check out the four-year schools in which you are interested to see if they accept transfer students right here on CollegeTransfer.Net. We have hundreds of institutions that are searching for transfer students and they offer special transition services recognizing the importance of your prior learning.

Again, you should be able to find information on being admitted as a transfer student in the Admissions section of the school's web site. Some four year schools accept a very limited number of transfer students. If this is the case, be realistic about whether or not you are likely to be accepted. It's always a good idea to have a backup plan – an alternate school or schools where the chances of being admitted as a transfer student are higher.