It’s financially smart to get your core classes done at a community college, especially if you’re not sure what you want to major in yet.
As Clark has said before about two-year colleges, ‘A couple years spent at community college before going to a traditional 4-year school is, I believe, one of the most effective ways for families to avoid the crushing burden of student loan debt. The reduction in the overall cost of education can be dramatic when you take this approach.’
Read more: Cheapest college degrees that will make you $70K a year
Bachelor’s degrees at community colleges can cost 50% less
As of recent, there has been an uptick in the number of two-year colleges offering four-year degrees. According to the ECS Education Policy Analysis, 23 states allow community colleges to award bachelor’s degrees. Though it has been challenging for community colleges to obtain bachelor degree programs due to accreditation rules, it is much cheaper to get a four-year degree at a two-year school.
For example, in California it is estimated that obtaining a four-year degree at a community college would cost roughly half what it would cost at a state college.
But what about the stigma associated with getting a bachelor’s degree at a community college instead of a state university?
Daron Vchulek, a graduate of Bellevue College, a community college, says it doesn’t matter as much to employers. What matters most is completing the degree program.
He told US News and World Report, ‘I talked to people in our HR department and people in the community and asked, ‘Would it make a difference if I was applying with a bachelor’s from Bellevue versus a well-known college in the area?’ And all said it wouldn’t make a difference, as long as it was an accredited college.’
Community college can also be ideal for people already in the workforce due to the availability of evening and online classes.
There are however some limitations related to bachelor’s degrees at community colleges. Colleges that do offer them may only have one or a few programs since community college programs are typically tied to opportunities within the community. But if there is a bachelor’s degree program available at a community college, it’s definitely worth checking into!
One other important note: Attending a community school for two years, before completing your last two years at a four-year school, can still save you thousands of dollars. In fact, in just two years, you could save between $12,000 and $66,000 on the same education you would get at a public or private four-year school.
Below are 78 community colleges that offer four year degrees by state. (To view these colleges in a list along with degree programs, click here.)
Read more: How to find online schools that aren’t a scam
These community colleges offer bachelor’s degrees
California
- Antelope Valley College: Airframe Manufacturing Technology
- Bakersfield College: Industrial Automation
- Cypress College: Mortuary Science
- Feather River College: Equine & Ranch Management
- Foothill College: Dental Hygiene
- MiraCosta College: Biomanufacturing
- Modesto Junior College: Respiratory Care
- Rio Hondo College: Automotive Technology
- San Diego Mesa College: Health Information Management
- Santa Monica College: Interaction Design
- Shasta College: Health Information Management
- Skyline College: Respiratory Therapy
- West Los Angeles College: Dental Hygiene
Colorado
Florida
- Broward College
- Chipola College
- College of Central Florida
- Daytona State College
- Eastern Florida State College
- Florida Gateway College
- Florida Southwestern State College
- Florida State College at Jacksonville
- Gulf Coast State College
- Indian River State College
- Lake Sumter Community College
- Miami Dade College
- Northwest Florida State College
- Palm Beach State College
- Pasco-Hernando State College
- Pensacola State College
- Polk State College
- Santa Fe College
- Seminole State College
- St Johns River
- St Petersburg College
- State College of Florida, Manatee – Sarasota
- Valencia College
Read more: Education start-up offers new way for students to pay for college
Georgia
- College of Coastal Georgia
- Georgia Gwinnett College
- Georgia Highlands College
- Middle Georgia College
Hawaii
Indiana
Michigan
Nevada
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Read more: Best 529 plans to help pay for college
Oklahoma
Texas
Vermont
Read more: 11 best ways to find a college scholarship
Washington
- Bellevue College
- Cascadia Community College
- Centralia College
- Clover Park Technical
- Columbia Basin College
- Green River Community
- Highline College
- Lake Washington Institute of Technology
- North Seattle College
- Olympic College (Brementon)
- Peninsula College
- Renton Technical College
- Seattle Central Community College
- Skagit College
- South Seattle College
- Yakima Valley Community
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Read more: 9 ways to pay for college without student loans