7 million students, or around 33% of all undergraduate students in the U.S., were enrolled in public four-year institutions during the 2020–2021 academic year, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Nonetheless, total community college enrollment has been falling since 2011, and has dropped 3.4% from last year. I believe this is because community colleges are often understood by students as establishments specifically for the underprepared or unmotivated and a last resort for everyone else. However, community colleges can serve as a viable option and can be more affordable and convenient as graduates enter the real world.
From the very beginning of school, students are convinced by parents, teachers, and peers as well that there exists a hierarchy of education, especially in regard to colleges: Ivy leagues are at the very top, and community colleges are at the very bottom. This type of educational elitism has a significant negative impact on student’s college and career decisions, often resulting in immense amounts of student debt as many students aim for popular, more expensive schools, as students regard community colleges as shameful or as back-up options.
At a school with a 95% graduation rate, some MHS students continue to equate and define post-high school success as “going away to college,” whereas attending a community college is relegated to a worst-case scenario back-up. Students around campus can often be heard joking about how shameful it would be to attend local community colleges if they are not accepted into private schools or University of California (UC) schools. This perception, together with a more relaxed admissions procedure at community colleges, creates the stigma that community college is an easy way out.
Community colleges, contrary to popular belief, provide a high-quality education in a non-competitive environment. Through the community college pathway, students can reap many benefits including reasonable and affordable tuition, local campuses, small class sizes, and transfer options to four-year institutions. Students who initially enroll in community college have better transfer opportunities due to transfer agreements guaranteed by Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) programs, which typically require two years to complete and either an associate in Art for Transfer (AA-T) and the Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degree.
Students at MHS have some of the best local community college options. De Anza College, California’s sixth-best community college, has one of the highest two-year college graduation rates, and a 79% transfer rate and student admittance rate to the UC system. Programs like guaranteed transfers provide students an advantage over immediate admission to a four-year undergraduate program by charging lower tuition and allowing students to work part-time and earn an income as well.
Furthermore, if Governor Gavin Newsom’s idea for dual admission in California, a part of legislation AB 30, is approved, the transfer process will be significantly simplified. Under this law, beginning in 2023, freshmen in community colleges would be eligible for a guaranteed seat at the UC or California State University (CSU) university of their choice after completing their ADT. Starting in their first year of study, The project strives to increase students’ access to the resources provided by these universities in the first year of their study. Although the concept is still being developed, it is a step in the right direction for providing community college students with transfer options. Programs and opportunities like these further debunk the myth about community college being the easy-way out, and demonstrate that community college can serve as a viable option and a stepping stone to the real world.
With so many opportunities, MHS students should consider community colleges as a legitimate and comparable option to pursue higher education.