Many people will tell you that community colleges are populated with underachievers who couldn’t make it in high school, troubled teenagers, or adults who screwed up and are trying to see if they can make it the second time around. 

Many will also tell you that community college is for those who couldn’t get into a “real” college.

These beliefs lead to the misconception that community college must therefore offer a lower standard of education. I am here to tell you that these beliefs are not true. 

Let’s look at 5 common misconceptions and myths. 

Myth #1: Smart students don’t go to community college

This is a common reaction when students with good high school grades tell people they have decided to attend a community college. They are immediately told that they don’t need to go to a community college, or that it is a waste of their talents and that they could go somewhere better.

None of this is true and students need to have the strength and willpower to stand up for themselves and their choices. After all, what are they really missing out on by starting out a community college? 

The traditional college experience: this will come in years three and four after they transfer to their final college.  

School spirit: this can also be attained in years three and four. 

A diploma with the name of a four-year college on it: after completing years three and four, graduates who started off at community college receive exactly the same diploma as everyone else at the four-year college.

Tens of thousands of dollars in additional expense and debt: I suspect most will be okay with missing out on that college experience.

In fact, starting at community college highlights a student’s intellect. By making the smart choice to get the core degree requirements out of the way at community college, you show that you understand the economics of college and that it is the end result that matters (your degree), and not how you get there. 

Myth #2: Only problem students go to community college

The fact is, you have no idea why each person has enrolled at your community college. Some may be there because the entry requirements were easier to attain, some may need to be close to home for family reasons, others may have wasted the opportunities they had in his school and are looking for a fresh start. 

However, there will also be plenty of people that have realized that they don’t need to spend $30,000+ attending a 4-year college just to get their general education credits in years 1 and 2. Does it make sense to spend that kind of money to learn about starfish mating rituals or early 15^th century Flemish lace making? Why not learn about those for less money (or free) at your community college?

By attending community college for 2 years, all of these students are setting themselves up with a low cost stepping stone to their 4-year degrees.

Myth #3: The quality of teaching is lower

This myth is easy to disprove. Look at your local community college website. There should be biographical information for the professors, and if you review it, you will find that many of them have master’s degrees and doctoral degrees. 

Next, look at the web page that outlines the requirements for graduation and also the requirements for transferring to your state college. 

Many states are doing everything they can to ensure that there is a seamless path to move from earning an associate degree at community college to earning a bachelor’s degree at a state college. They have programs that outline the exact courses that students must complete to transfer and enter junior year at the in-state college. 

Ask yourself this: “If community college is being taught by professors with advanced degrees, and if your state college will accept an associate degree as equivalent to the work that its own students did for the last two years, can it really be true that community college offers a lower standard of education?“

The answer is no. State colleges would not accept students with associate degrees if they thought they weren’t at the same academic level as their own students.

Myth #4: Community college is Grade 13

This is a very common myth amongst students who are looking at attending a community college that is close to their high school. 

They assume it is going to feel like nothing has changed in their lives. They are going to be living at home and seeing the same people that they saw in high school. The only thing that will change is the building they go to each day.

But the fact is that students who attend community college are part of a far larger campus and may follow different degree path to their old high school friends. It is likely they will see their friends far less than they think.

Community college is not simply two more years of hanging out with the same people they have been with since middle school or earlier.

Myth #5: An associate degree has no value

While in general, people with an associate degree earn less money than those with a bachelor’s degree, those with an associate degree tend to earn more than those with only a high school diploma*.

But keep in mind that if you are going to community college just to complete your Gen Ed credits, then the value to you is the tuition costs you have saved. If you are lucky enough to live in a state with free community college, then your associate degree will have already saved you tens of thousands of dollars.

Even if you didn’t carry on to complete a bachelor’s degree, you would still have a higher earning potential than someone with just a high school diploma.

Summary

Don’t fall into the trap of believing these myths. Give some serious thought to the cost benefits of attending a community college. Even if you can afford to pay your way through college without borrowing money, it might still make sense to consider community college and maybe use the money you save for a master’s degree. 

* https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2022/data-on-display/education-pays.htm

Your thoughts

Leave a comment below on your thoughts on attending community college. Are there other myths that need to be dispelled? Are you a community college graduate? If so, what was your experience and did you use it as a stepping stone to a 4-year degree, or stop once you had your associate degree?