There are two types of post-secondary schools in the USA: two-year institutions referred to as junior or community colleges and regular four-year universities.
Community Colleges are two-year public funded institutions that provide educational opportunities for all segments of the society. Community colleges meet three main objectives: they provide
- general education or literacy opportunity for adults
- education and training in specified trades and vocations
- first two years of conversional university education for students who which to transfer to four-year universities and earn Bachelor’s degree
After earning 60 semester credit hours of study, community college students graduate with Associate Degrees with which they can work or transfer to four-year institutions for further study towards Bachelor’s degree. Generally, universities accept most of the credits earned from the Associate Degree studies especially if there is articulated agreement between the two schools.
The 2+2 Community College Pathway
The practice of Choosing a Community College with the intent of transferring into a four-year university or college has been receiving a growing patronage in recent times. The popularity of this pathway has been attributed to some advantages which applicants particularly international students find too difficult to ignore.
