Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Stepping Stones

  • By Deborah P. Moore
  • 05/01/16

I just read a surprising article published in U.S. News & World Report headlined, “Graduates of 4-Year Universities Flock to Community Colleges for Job Skills. As many as 1 in 5 community college students already have bachelor’s degrees.” According to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), one out of every 14 people who attend community has already earned a bachelor’s degree, and in some colleges the number is one out of five.

Community colleges were always thought of as a stepping stone, preparing students for transfer to four-year institutions — not the other way around. They had open-access admissions policies, comprehensive educational programs, were community-based and cost-effective. In the latest College Board report average published tuition and fee prices in 2015-16 for in-district students at public two-year institutions averaged $3,430, compared to $9,410 for in-state students at public four-year institutions.

While lower tuition and costs may be attracting new students to community colleges, it is workforce development and skills training that are attracting students already holding bachelor’s degrees. While unemployment soared during the Great Recession, reaching 9.9 percent in March of 2010, the national unemployment rate has declined to 5.0 percent in March of 2016. Many of those who were unemployed are still under-employed. In 2016 wages are predicted to increase 2.5 percent when adjusted for inflation, but after years of salary cuts and no cost-of-living increases employees are leaving their current jobs and looking for greener pastures.

Many former students are taking courses at their local community college in an effort to make themselves more marketable. Others, especially in technology-related professions, are returning to keep their certifications current or upgrade their skills, and it is paying off.

In February 2014 the AACC and Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) released a report, “Where Value Meets Values: The Economic Impact of Community Colleges.” The report shows that community colleges are a boon to the American economy at large as well as to individual students. For every one dollar a student spends on his or her community college education, he or she sees an ROI of $3.80. If you ask me, that is a pretty good investment!

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • UPenn Announces Completion of New Veterinary Education Facility

    The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn., recently finished construction on an 11,800-square-foot veterinary education building, according to a news release. The Gail P. Riepe Center for Advanced Veterinary Education is the first dedicated classroom facility at the New Bolton Center, a large-animal hospital and campus about 35 miles west of the campus proper.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Montclair State University Debuts New VR Facility

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently announced the completion of a new virtual reality learning facility developed in partnership with Dreamscape Learn, according to a news release. The 2,450-square-foot lab space is inside the College of Communication and Media building and will serve students pursuing careers in digital media, virtual reality, and content creation.

  • Tomball ISD Opens New Tomball West High School

    Tomball Independent School District in Tomball, Texas, recently celebrated the official opening of Tomball West High School, the district's third comprehensive high school, with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a district news release.