Community college is a great way to complete a postsecondary education for both traditional and non-traditional students.Even if you’re not sure what your major or even career is going to be, community college allow you the freedom to explore subjects that interest you, or even allow you to explore subjects you didn’t even know you were interested in or even existed! This is especially true since some of the units you need to complete in order to transfer are required to be elective classes (classes that don’t have to relate to your intended major). There are over 175 different programs available at California community colleges, so the opportunities are seemingly endless. And since community college is significantly less expensive than a four-year institution (on average 36% less, according to College Board), the opportunity to explore is even easier to take advantage of.
Community colleges are located throughout the country, and many have articulation agreements set up from feeder high schools through to the local four-year universities. Community colleges offer two main benefits to students: ease of access to postsecondary education (practically all students who apply are accepted to community college), and significant cost savings when compared to the traditional route of attending a four-year university directly from high school. According to College Board, students attending community college can expect to pay just 36% of the cost of a four-year university on average.
Community college is a very popular method to complete your postsecondary education in California, and over 2.1 million students attend class each year at the 114 community colleges throughout the state. There are so many community college students in California that 1 in 5 postsecondary students in the entire nation are at a California community college. In fact, many of the state’s health workers and first responders get their training from a community college, at 70% of all nurses and 80% of all public safety and emergency responders. Many graduates of the UC and CSU system got their start in the community college system, with 29% of UC graduates and 51% of CSU graduates coming from a community college.
Another benefit of beginning your postsecondary education at a community college is the ease of access to quality instruction. Community colleges face the same rigorous accreditation standards that major universities such as UC Berkeley are also held to, and many of the faculty teach simultaneously at four-year universities and community colleges. But unlike courses taught at four-year universities, community college courses are generally much smaller in class size than at a four-year, and the courses are taught by the instructor themselves and not by a teaching assistant, so students are able to get more personalized instruction. Because of the standard that community colleges are held to, students who transfer from a community college to a four-year university will do so as a junior, assuming you satisfy the minimum unit requirements.
Most universities will have a total unit requirement of 120 units in order to earn a bachelor degree, and transferring with 60 or more units from a community college would essentially be the same as if you had started at that university as a freshman. Before being accepted at a four-year university, students must first complete what is called general education. General education classes are meant to provide students a well rounded education, and include math, science, language/speech, history, and humanities. These are classes that all students must take, regardless of the intended major. So if you aren’t the fondest of math, English, science, or history, it’s time to start studying because there is no way to avoid them!
Guaranteed acceptance to CSU and UC
Along the lines of equity in access to instruction, the opportunities for postsecondary education and career building allow students to earn degrees and certificates along the way to a four-year degree. As you accumulate transferable units for your major, you can also be earning units toward an associate degree at the same time. Some times you can earn enough units for multiple degrees. This can be useful for students who are also working, as earning an associate degree can provide career opportunities and you don’t have to wait the full four years to get a degree, it’s like a carrot that can keep you motivated to finish your ultimate goal of transferring. In addition to associate degrees, California has recently began offering community college students a new type of associate degree, called the associate of transfer (AA-T or AS-T). Earning an associate of transfer degree guarantees that you will be accepted into the CSU system under the major in which you earn the transfer degree. Earning the associate of transfer degree also provides an extra GPA bump, which is especially useful for students who are interested in highly impacted schools and majors. An associate degree and an associate of transfer degree are still associate, or two-year degrees, it’s just that having the transfer degree provides a much easier transition to the CSU system, if that is your intention to transfer to that system.
For certain UC schools, students can enter into a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) at their community college. Establishing a TAG provides the ease of mind that not only are you on track to completing your ultimate educational goal, but that you have a guaranteed spot waiting for you when it come time to transfer. Here is the current list of UC campuses that allow community college students to enter into a TAG:
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC Merced
UC Riverside
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz
The key thing to remember with these guaranteed admission options is that with an associate of transfer degree, students are accepted at all CSU campuses within the major in which the degree was granted. However, a UC Transfer Admission Guarantee can only be established at one UC campus, so you must be absolutely sure about the campus you wish to transfer to.
Preparing for transfer
An important thing to consider as you plan your courses at a community college is to take classes that will be accepted by a four-year institution for your intended major. Even at public postsecondary institutions, the admissions requirements for specific majors can vary from campus to campus, so it behooves you to meet with academic counselors regularly to ensure that you aren’t wasting your time and money.
A great way you can keep yourself on track is to utilize electronic tools to help you and your counselor plan your courses and track your completion progress. One such tool is a web-based service called Assist.org. Assist has lists of articulation agreements between all California community colleges and four-year universities within the CSU and UC systems. An articulation agreement is basically a list of classes that are required for the major at a four-year institution, outside of the general education requirements, that can be completed at a community college. Taking these classes at the community college before you transfer is another great way to save some money in the long run. You start by selecting the community college you are attending, then choosing your intended major, and then lastly the university that you wish to attend. Assist then shows you if there is an articulation agreement established between the institutions you selected for that major.
Can you get a bachelor degree at a community college?
Yes!
Community colleges also grant degrees and certificates. In the past, it used to be that the highest degree you could earn from a community college was an associate degree (a two-year degree). But recently in California, some community colleges started offering bachelor degrees in certain fields. Here is a list of community colleges that currently offer bachelor degrees:
Airframe Manufacturing Technology, Antelope Valley College
Industrial Automation, Bakersfield College
Emergency Services and Allied Health Systems, Crafton Hills College
Mortuary Science, Cypress College
Equine Industry, Feather River College
Dental Hygiene, Foothill College and West Los Angeles College
Bio-manufacturing, MiraCosta College
Respiratory Care, Modesto Junior College and Skyline College
Automotive Technology, Rio Hondo College
Health Information Management, San Diego Mesa College
Occupational Studies, Santa Ana College
Interaction Design, Santa Monica College
Health Information Management, Shasta College
Apply to a community college
If you’re ready to start your journey at a community college, you can locate the campus nearest to you by clicking here.
Paying for school
If you’re ready to take classes but not sure how to pay for them, be sure to visit Paying for School