Before reading more, do you know Is College Right For You?
College Option: Community College
Community colleges offer a variety of degree opportunities: professional certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees. Community colleges receive funding from the state and are considered public institutions. An old fashioned term for a community college would be junior college, when there was less of a technical focus and only students interested in going on to a university were attending.
Community colleges are a great way to shave off the cost of obtaining a Bachelor's Degree by either completing an acceptable Associate's degree first or simply taking some of your general education credits there. Check with your intended 4 year school for acceptance prior to embarking on a course of study at the community college. Most local state funded colleges and universities accept some course credit from the local community college.
Community colleges are great places for those looking for education specifically tied to employment. Professors are often local business leaders or experts in the field. Other students are also usually working full-time. This makes networking super easy for finding your next career.
College Option: 4 Year College or University
A traditional college or university is one of the most common options chosen by graduating seniors from high schools. It is considered by some families to be a rite of passage into adulthood and loyalty to one school isn't unusual. Admission to the college or university might also be easier for the applying student if they have legacy status, meaning a close relative is an alumni.
4 year universities and colleges offer what is called a liberal arts education. This means students graduate with not just a focus in one area, but the Bachelor's degree reflects an education in numerous subjects across the spectrum. Before starting on work in a specific major, such as accounting, engineering, or political science, students complete general education requirements. These are low level courses in other disciplines to make the student a well-rounded graduate.
Completion of a 4 year degree, or Bachelor's degree, is a requirement for most graduate level coursework (some graduate programs will consider work experience as in the field training). A Bachelor's degree also notably brings the student a higher salary upon entering the work force. The biggest problem facing students with a Bachelor's degree is making sure they have some work experience that relates to their desired career field. Proper career development planning is vital for juniors and seniors pursuing a Bachelor's degree.
College Option: Graduate School
Graduate school is a departure from the liberal arts education supplied by a 4 year college. Graduate schools offer an advanced focus on a single area of study so graduating students are considered an expert in that area. Popular graduate programs include Master's of Business Administration (MBAs), medical school, dental school, pharmaceutical school, and Master degrees in most undergraduate subject matters. For example, a student can major in Political Science for an undergraduate degree, but then study for a Master's of Public Administration at graduate school. Or, the same student could pursue a law degree at law school.
Entry requirements for graduate school are very tough. Admissions doesn't just look at your undergraduate GPA, but also your test scores on standardized tests (such as LSATs for law school, MCATS for medical school, GRE for social science graduate programs, and GMAT for applied science and technical graduate programs).
