Private colleges, universities, state colleges, and community colleges seem to have a different feel for each of them. Everyone seems to have different opinions on colleges and the kind of college students attend. To most, attending a university seems more presitine than attending a state college, due to the fact that many believe that going to a community college or a state college makes you “less” of a student. Attending a more pristine college usually affects the way people view you intellectually. If someone attends a private college, than your overall persona seems more smart rather than just trying to pass, but why is there a stigma on students in community colleges?

Alliance has a community college campus and to many, this would be a huge convenience, but others view going to a community college as not branching out or not getting the best education. The main difference between a community college and other colleges is that most community colleges only offer a two-year degree, while other colleges usually offer four- year bachelor degrees. Most people believe that those who decide to attend community colleges do so only because they did not get accepted into more prestigious colleges. 

Most community colleges are meant to prepare students for higher education, it’s often times a lot cheaper to first get your generals at a community college and then transfer to either a state college or a university. According to moneycrasher.com, at a university you’ll pay $400 to $600 per credit hour for basic classes and at community colleges you’ll pay $45 to $250 per credit hour, which is a significant savings considering the amount of classes needed for certain college degrees. 

If your campus is at home, this also means you might have the chance to live at your own home while at the same time attending a college. This means that there will be a significantly less amount of money spent on living costs. Paying for all of these extra costs, like gas, rent, and room and board expenses makes up for a huge amount of the money spent when going to college. Many believe that dorm rooms are what college students should experience, but at the same time when someone attends a community college around $40,000 dollars is saved when not living on campus. 

The amount of people that attend community colleges, is not as significant as the amount of students who attend universities. With the amount of people that attend community colleges, more often times than not students will get more support along the way and have smaller class sizes. Community colleges also offer dual credit courses to high school students. Some students with the mindset that only universities are worth it, have taken classes from a community college. So there should be no difference between taking a class from a community college during high school and taking a community college class once you’re out of high school. 

Overall, community colleges are a huge benefit, and just because someone goes there does not mean they weren’t smart enough to attend a different college. Community colleges should be talked about as a great opportunity for any upcoming college student.