Community Colleges: Underrated Educational Path

By Zahra Muhsin

According to the U.S. Department of Education, over 43% of all undergraduates in 2020-2021 were enrolled in community colleges, representing more than 8.8 million students. Community colleges have a prevalent space in postsecondary education, and they have the potential to be formative parts of a student’s academic journey. The cost and schedule flexibility are obvious benefits to pursuing community college with over 70% of students attending part-time, however, there are many other reasons a student may decide to start their academic careers in a community college.

With the U.S. Department of Education vulnerable to policy and administration changes, education remains a hotly debated topic with a tumultuous past and an uncertain future. Due to the great variability of educational quality and resources, and reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic, many professors have noted that university students seem to be struggling. This phenomenon sheds light on the idea that students may not exit high school with all the necessary skills, knowledge, and executive functions they need to succeed. Furthermore, the highly regimented external schedule of high school is an important organizational pillar for students. In college, the open, self-directed time can be a difficult adjustment to make on a larger scale. Students may struggle with task prioritization, task/time appraisal for projects and long-term assignments, as well as juggling personal, professional, and academic parts of their lives.

Community colleges can be places where students bridge the gap between high school and four-year institutions. Community colleges serve as a scaffold for students who need support with college-level subjects. The smaller class sizes, labs, and practicals allow students to get more direct support too. From English 101/103 to General Chemistry, students develop analytical thinking skills and critical writing skills while having direct access to their professors and resources. Additionally, students get a better idea of what they want to study by completing some general education credits at a community college before declaring a major at a university.

However, community colleges are not for everyone. For example, students interested in advanced scientific study and labs will need to eventually transfer to a four-year institution or skip community college altogether due to a lack of course articulation across universities. However, completing the initial exploration on a smaller scale is helpful in the decision-making process. Also, students can often dual-enroll as high school students and begin their post-secondary education earlier.

Community college students have the opportunity to develop the necessary skills to succeed in higher education at their own pace. Students can begin and utilize a framework that will eventually support university work. In fact, “not only do students who transfer to selective institutions from community colleges persist and earn their degrees, but they are more likely to do so within six years of matriculation than students who enroll straight from high school or transfer from other four-year institutions” (JCKC).

Colleges are incredibly accessible with many students across the United States able to attend for a low cost or completely free. For example, Austin Community Colleges provide free tuition for their community. Additionally, many colleges across the U.S. have merit-based tuition benefits ( these may depend on a student’s ACT score of High School ranking). The City Colleges of Chicago have articulation plans with universities like the University of Illinois-Chicago to make the transfer process more seamless.

Ultimately, students and their families should decide whether their students could benefit from getting their initial college experience via their local community college. Whether a student takes a few courses in the summer or completes an associate’s degree, there is merit in trying out the smaller pool of community colleges before jumping into a university.