Career Colleges

Career colleges are essentially privately managed post-secondary schools, which offer career-oriented programs. Unlike regular four-year colleges, career colleges offer short-term diplomas and certificates besides bachelor's degrees.

Career Colleges: Pros and Cons

Career colleges are often looked down upon in comparison to traditional colleges. However, they have the following benefits over standard four-year colleges:

• Practical learning: Traditional colleges focus on providing a broader knowledge base, whereas career colleges focus more on providing hands on education, rather than theory. Hence, career college graduates are better prepared to join the ‘real’ world.

• Focused education: Most career colleges offer great flexibility in choosing subjects. Therefore, students need not invest their time on studying subjects that do not interest them.

• Lower cost: Traditional universities often charge exorbitant fees, which is generally not the case with career colleges. Moreover, such colleges create better scope for students to increase their work experience in their chosen area while studying.

• Time-saving: The focused education in a career college enables students to join the workforce faster and thereby enables them to establish their professional lives more easily.

Although the benefits of career colleges are numerous, many argue that the starting salaries of career college graduates are lower than those who have a bachelor's degree from a traditional college. In addition, career colleges are criticized for their lack of social lives due to the shortage of on-campus activities.

Comparing Career Colleges

Choosing a career college can be a confusing task. In order to narrow down the choices, compare the colleges on the following categories:

• Credentials offered: Different colleges offer credentials of varied lengths. Therefore, a student must first determine the time s/he is willing to invest in the college education. Basic credentials offered by colleges are a two-year associate's degree and a 1-3 year diploma or certificate.

• Transfer options: For students who are interested in continuing their studies, it is important to evaluate the credit-transfer provisions of different career colleges. Also, search for colleges that have a specific ‘University Transfer’ program.

• Accreditation and quality: It is imperative for students to examine whether a career college has requisite licensure and accreditation, before applying. Moreover, it is vital to investigate the college resources to ensure that it offers quality education, which includes checking the background and skills of the faculty.

Students must also compare other job-oriented features of career colleges, such as internship options, industry partnerships and placement assistance before making an application.

To learn more about career colleges and evaluate your options, log on to topeducationguide.com, a comprehensive database of several educational institutions.