Bachelor Pathways

Did you know that you that 83% of community college students plan to transfer to a university to pursue a bachelor degree? It's a "Start Here; Transfer Anywhere" model where students complete the first two years of their bachelor program at a community college then transfer to a university to complete their studies. 

It's a very popular model in the United States, and let's look at some reasons why.

Did you finish high school? If so, you can attend a community college. That's right, no essays, recommendation letters, GPA requirements, or stress needed to apply here. It's called open access, and it's a foundation of community colleges because everyone should have access to a college education.

International students do have additional requirements. Since classes are in English, there is an English language proficiency requirement; however, the required score is typically lower than at a university. In addition, most students will need to get an F1 Visa to study in the United States. This requires additional documents such a financial guarantee, but these are also lower because the cost to attend a community college is lower.  

Lastly, transferring from a community college to a university is a simple process. In Oregon, there are laws and policies that govern these transfer programs as well as strategic partnerships that can guarantee admissions, waive application fees, and streamline the transfer process.

One final consideration related to admission is that students will have another opportunity to be accepted to their "dream school" by starting at community college. In fact, UC Berkeley accepts more transfer applicants than high school applicants.

No wonder so many people start their college experience at a community college!

What about the quality of a community college? Is it as good as a university?

Absolutely! In fact, community colleges and universities are accredited by the same organizations, offer many of the same classes, employ faculty with similar credentials, offer the same student support programs, purchase the same lab equipment, and have similar student life experiences.

The difference is the purpose of the institute. A community college is 100% focused on the student and will offer small class sizes, personalized attention from instructors, and a friendly environment to ask questions and participate in discussions and activities. It is not surprising, therefore, to learn that international students often report feeling more comfortable attending a community college.

It is not surprising that many students begin at a community college. It is easy to get in, the quality is equal to a university, and the support programs may be better for students who are just starting college. However, the main reason that students choose a community college is cost.

A bachelor degree is expensive. The average cost for an international student to attend a university is $37,500 per year. That brings the total cost for a degree to $150,000! However, attending a community college can greatly reduce this cost. In fact, the average cost of a community college is around $8500 per year. Therefore, if an international student completed half of their degree at a community college, the total would be $92,000. 

Yet there's more! Community colleges also have strategic agreements that offer additional tuition discounts, guaranteed scholarships, and other cost savings benefits for students transferring to some of the world's top universities. This can reduce the cost of a degree even more.