Introduction
In the United States, community colleges, sometimes called junior or technical colleges, are primarily two-year public institutions providing higher education and lower-level tertiary education. These institutions grant certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees. Many also offer continuing and adult education. After graduating from a community college, some students transfer to a four-year liberal arts college or university for two to three years to complete a bachelor's degree. The small class sizes and the opportunity to give back to the community are some of the reasons why educators choose to teach at a community college. The small and intimate neighborhood atmosphere also attracts students to begin or to continue their education at a junior college.
The Professors
Professors teaching at a community college are solely dedicated to teaching, and classes are generally small, about the size of a standard high school class. In comparison, a four-year college course may be taught to 300 or more students by a teaching assistant, while the professor is concentrating on research. Outside of those teaching in the technical and vocational fields, most instructors at community colleges have master's degrees and many hold doctoral degrees. In addition, professionals teaching at a community college can help students achieve their goals, work more closely with them, and offer them support, while at a four-year college, a professor's primary mission is to conduct academic research, with most of their remaining attention focused on mentoring graduate students. Educators who are attracted to community college teaching jobs often enjoy the fact that are allowed to focus less on research and more on student development.
The Students
Another attractive quality about community colleges is that they are often geared toward local students and local needs. Students who could not afford campus or off-site housing at a four-year college, or for other reasons cannot relocate, can attend courses while staying in their local community (though some colleges do offer student housing). Community colleges can also work with local businesses to develop customized training geared toward local needs, whereas a four-year institution generally focuses on state-wide or national needs. Some community colleges have concurrent enrollment programs, allowing local high school students to "jump start" their college career by taking classes at the community college that count both toward their high school diploma and as college credit (mainly in core areas such as history and political science). Policies and classes offered vary with different agreements existing between the community college and high schools. Many top-ranking high school students complete their associate's degree prior to high school graduation through participation in Post Secondary Enrollment Option programs available in several states including Minnesota, Iowa, and Ohio. The student's local high school must pay the tuition, fees, and textbook charges for the student. The student (and family) pays little or nothing for the semesters of education while earning an associate's degree.
The Benefits
The open enrollment policy in junior colleges is yet another benefit for students, especially those who would not qualify for enrollment in a traditional university, such as those with mediocre high school academic records or who did not graduate from high school and later obtained a GED. The enrollment policy is for students who recognized the benefits of college education relatively late in life, and students whose personal obligations or limited financial resources prevented them from attending college on the traditional schedule.
Students can also experience financial benefits when enrolling in a community college. On average classes at a four-year college are more expensive than classes at a community college. Although a degree from a community college is, on average, less financially lucrative in the long term than a university degree, new research into earnings shows that recent community-college graduates often earn a higher salary than recent graduates of four-year universities, and are much less burdened by tuition debt. In spite of persistently high unemployment rates, there is still a demand for people with so-called middle-skills that often do not require a bachelor's degree, such as laboratory technicians, early childhood educators, computer engineers, draftsmen, radiation therapists, paralegals, and machinists. In addition, many colleges offer and accept scholarships or educational grants.
Transferring Credits
In addition to the small class sizes and financial benefit, the increasingly positive relationship between two-year and four-year colleges is also a plus. For example, four-year colleges, now more than ever, often give priority to students transferring from community colleges, citing their demonstrated preparedness for junior and senior college-level work. Students who may not have been able to attend a particular college after high school (whether for academic, financial, or personal reasons) may now be able to attend the college of their choice. Several states have regulations requiring the associate's degree in a particular field to be automatically credited towards the core curriculum for a four-year degree at another state university or private university. Research shows that there is no learning or income penalty for individuals who start at a community college and transfer to a four-year institution. Additionally, research indicates that students who begin their higher education career at a community college are more likely to transfer to a higher quality four-year institution than if they had started at a four-year college. It is also interesting to note that holders of a two-year associate's degree have more immediate earning potential than students with more than two years of higher education but did not earn a degree.
Joliet Junior College
Joliet Junior College Main Campus, in Joliet, Illinois the first Community College in the U.S.