Why Community College

Learn all about community college and whether it is the right choice for your academic career. We'll cover the history of community colleges, the latest trends and issues, and the top degree-producing schools. Find out why students are turning to community colleges, see what issues affect campuses with such a diverse student body, and get information on the latest trends in degree offerings.

View the most popular articles in Why Community College:

The Minority Report: How Minority Students are Really Faring at Community Colleges

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The Minority Report: How Minority Students are Really Faring at Community Colleges
A performance gap continues to exist at community colleges for minority and low-income students. Learn about the troubling statistics and how the performance gap can be closed.

Despite all of our society’s socioeconomic progress, there still exists a major performance gap between students of different ethnic and income backgrounds. A recently published report paints a disturbing picture of how minority and low-income students are performing in community colleges.

The report, titled “Charting a Necessary Path” and prepared by the Washington, D.C. based nonprofit group the Education Trust, indicates that students from historically underrepresented backgrounds – defined as students of African-American, Latino, and Native American descent – as well as students from low-income families, complete associate’s degree programs and transfer to four-year degree programs at significantly lower rates than their peers.

This video looks at why minority men have difficulty completing their educations.

Few Minority Students Who Enter Community College Attain Bachelor’s Degrees

The press release accompanying the study reports that although 80 percent of freshmen entering community college intend to eventually earn a bachelor’s degree, only 7 percent of low-income and minority community college students attain a bachelor’s degree within ten years. As the press release explains, low-income and minority students are “overrepresented in terms of enrollment” in community colleges but “underrepresented among completers” of community colleges.

Low Rate of Transfer to Four-Year Institutions

The rate at which historically underrepresented minorities transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions is also worrisome, according to the report. Only 12 percent of students from underrepresented minority groups transfer to bachelor’s degree programs

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Cosmopolitan Community Colleges: Growth in International Student Enrollment

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Cosmopolitan Community Colleges: Growth in International Student Enrollment
Learn about why the number of international students enrolling at American community colleges is increasing, as well as which states lead the way in international enrollment.

The secret of American community colleges has been revealed – to the entire world – and the population of international students enrolling in American community colleges is rapidly increasing.

The 2009 Open Doors report, issued by the Institute of International Education, provides a snapshot of current trends in international student enrollment in both community colleges and other institutions of post-secondary education. For anyone interested in the path that international student education is taking in America, the report is essential reading.

Texas and California Lead the Way in International Community College Students

The Open Doors report includes a list of the 40 community college with the highest populations of international students. Texas’s Houston Community College System tops the list; it boasts over 5,000 international students, which is about 9% of its total student population. Two other Texan community colleges also made it into the top ten: the Woodlands’s Lone Star College System, which enrolls over 2,000 international students, and Dallas’s Richland College, which enrolls over 1,200 international students. The percentage of the total student population that is of international origin for these two schools is 4.4% and 7.8%, respectively.

California also appears to lead the way in international student enrollment at community colleges. Like Texas, California is home to three of the top ten community colleges in terms of international student enrollment: Santa Monica College (in Southern California), De Anza College (in the Silicon Valley), and the City College of

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Beware of Rejection Letters from Your Local Community College

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Beware of Rejection Letters from Your Local Community College
Community colleges are no longer upholding an "all welcome" admissions policy. Learn more about the change in admission policies and why community colleges are turning away students.

The acceptance rate at community college has existed at the opposite end of the spectrum from the nation's elite private universities. At community colleges, any student who had a desire to pursue an educational goal and the money to pay the course fees was welcome.

However, as community colleges nationwide face historical surges in enrollment, some are being forced to take the unprecedented move of rejecting students. For example, CUNY community colleges in New York are contemplating stricter admission policies, as reported by the Columbia Spectator. At the Borough of Manhattan Community College, transfer students with a 2.0 GPA or lower will be automatically placed on a waiting list starting in Spring 2010. Other students who applied for classes for the fall semester received admissions for the spring.

The Causes of Rejection from Community Colleges

There are many guilty parties that have contributed to community colleges that no longer uphold "all welcome" admission policies. While the troubled economy plays a role, systematic shifts in employment have also contributed to students being turned away from community colleges.

This video examines the reasons why community colleges reject admissions applications.

The Recession

During economic downturns such as the current recession, community college enrollment tends to swell for a number of reasons. Older workers who have been laid off or who are having trouble finding work may decide to return to the

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How Community Colleges are Coping with Double Digit Enrollment Growth

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How Community Colleges are Coping with Double Digit Enrollment Growth
Learn about how community colleges are changing their campuses to accommodate for double-digit growth in student enrollment.

With the weak economy, nationwide job cuts, and a more competitive workforce, community colleges have experienced a tremendous enrollment boom. As Inside Higher Ed reveals, community college enrollment rates have been increasing at a steady pace for the past two school years. In fact, experts predict that the 2009 fall semester will result in record breaking enrollment counts.

To accommodate the enrollment boom, community colleges have been forced to balance their available resources with the immense demands of new students. In fact, due to the rising student enrollment rates, “Some community colleges are exploring innovative ways to serve their growing student bodies, make better use of facilities and attract new professors.”

The Community College Boom: The Impact on Campus

Campuses in nearly all states are experiencing various degrees of enrollment hikes. Some theorize that the growth in enrollment is due to the recession’s effect on job cuts and lay-offs; many unemployed workers are finding themselves unskilled to compete in today’s aggressive job market.

Adding to this, many schools have noticed a “Marked increase in the number of students looking to transfer to a four-year institution.” As community colleges allow students to earn college credit much more affordably, many financially savvy students are attending a local community college prior to a more expensive four-year university or private institution. For example, one New York school located in Syracuse, Onondaga Community College (OCC), has experienced a tremendous surge in the enrollment

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Should Community Colleges Allow Undocumented Immigrants to Enroll?

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Should Community Colleges Allow Undocumented Immigrants to Enroll?
Learn about the controversy surrounding community colleges' admission policies regarding undocumented immigrants.

Community colleges were intended to help all students access higher education, regardless of socioeconomic or geographical constraints. Subsequently, some community colleges have adjusted their admission policies, allowing undocumented immigrants to enroll on campus.

However, these changes have been met with great controversy, especially during a time when community colleges are facing record high enrollment rates. In particular, North Carolina has been battered with an array of protestors who argue that community colleges are already struggling to provide for its massive number of documented, legal students. In light of these enrollment demands, how can community colleges accommodate undocumented students?
In this video, an undocumented student shares how she was still able to pay for college despite not being eligible for federal aid.
As the debate continues to rage on both sides, some experts predict that community colleges across the country will soon feel pressured to permit undocumented immigrants into their classrooms.
Undocumented Students: The Heated Debate
Examining these controversial changes to community college policies in North Carolina, WRAL News reports that all community colleges in the state must accept qualified illegal immigrants if the applicants meet all of the admission guidelines. Prior to this new policy, college officials were required to reject any undocumented students, even if the applicants were over the age of 18 and had earned a high school diploma in the United States.
How did the policy

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A to Z of Community College Certificates and Courses
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What is a Community College?
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This comprehensive guide explains what a community college is, its history, and its role in higher education. It covers the types of programs offered, differences from four-year colleges, benefits of attending, and important considerations for prospective students, providing valuable insights for those exploring educational options.

Why Community College

OVERVIEW
What is a community college and why are more students turning to them? Who are some of the most famous community college graduates? Here you’ll find the answers to these questions and more.
TRENDS AND CURRENT ISSUES
Get information on the latest trends and issues affecting community colleges today. Explore the impact of community colleges on the global economy, get information on how community colleges have changed over the years, and see how the latest technologies are being employed on campus.
STUDENT POPULATIONS
Attracting students from all walks of like, community college campuses are rich with diversity. This section covers a myriad of issues relating to student populations. Learn more about LGBT support on community college campuses, explore adult-friendly degree programmers and, see what resources are available to veterans.
ENROLLMENT & ADMISSIONS
We provide a comprehensive look into some of the most important issues affecting enrollment and admissions. Get the latest news on declining enrollment across the country and the impact it has. Learn more about the latest trends in admissions requirements from vaccinations to placement tests. Find expert advice on what to expect your first year, and lean more about the pitfalls to avoid.