Community College in America
What is a community college?
A community college is a two-year college, sometimes called a junior college that students go to in order to take their general requirements to transfer to a university or receive occupational training to go directly into their chosen job field.
In the U.S. if a student is interested in going to college they have one of two choices. The first choice is to go directly to a four-year college, most commonly referred to as a university, to obtain a bachelor’s degree. The second choice a student has is to take classes at a community college for the general requirements of their bachelor degree program and then transfer to a University to complete their final two years of upper division courses.
Why would a student choose to study at a community college?
The advantages of studying at a community college are as follows:
- Community colleges are considerably smaller than Universities: The student is able to take classes with fewer students and receive more personalized attention from their instructors. This is often appealing to international students because it is easier for them to learn in an environment that is more personalized when they are dealing with learning in a new environment under what may be a new educational system.
- The cost of tuition and fees are considerably less than a University.
- The community colleges in Maricopa county have transfer agreements with the three main Arizona universities: Students can visit with academic advisors during their two years at SMCC to receive assistance designing themselves a schedule in which they are taking classes which will easily transfer and be accepted at one of the main Arizona universities. Students planning to attend a university outside the state of Arizona can also receive assistance finding a degree program that will meet with their career goals or transfer needs.
To help you learn more about the International Student resources available at each of the main Arizona universities, links are provide below: