Community College Education - 4 Disadvantages Associated With It

Community College education has many advantages; however, there are a few disadvantages of community college education that need to be mentioned. We prefer to look at the positive side of things, but choose to ignore the negative aspects. However, in case of community college education, the positive aspects far outweigh the negatives. In case you decide to take up community college education and plan to go on for further studies at the university level, you should be aware of the larger picture. Some of the disadvantages associated with community college education are discussed below:

1. Students, who plan to transfer to university after completing the two-year community college course, should ensure that the courses they are taking are compatible to those available at the university level. Most often, these are compatible, but there may be some exceptions that you should know about. In case you are planning to attend a University situated near your present community college, you can verify if they have some agreement that will allow the transfer of associate degree graduates to the university, easily.

2. Another disadvantage of a community college is that it does not provide residential accommodation to students. They are mostly commuter campuses, as they prefer to spend on academic development rather than on student housing. Residential campuses are convenient for students to participate in sports and other extra curricular activities that may be held at the college. Community colleges in the rural areas usually provide hostel facilities to their students.

3. Community colleges offer a limited choice for specific classes as compared to the classes offered by a university. You may also require an extra semester or an extra year to complete your associate degree. Universities, on the other hand offer a greater amount of flexibility and choice of classes, especially for the lower level graduate courses.

4. The libraries at the community colleges are much smaller as compared to universities. This therefore limits the students' ability to do research. The simple reason for this is the fact that universities have a larger fund to spend on the libraries and research facilities compared to the community colleges. Universities can thus afford to have large libraries for the benefit of their students.

Many state governments are passing laws to make it mandatory for the colleges within the state to accept the transfer of community college credits, in a bid to retain qualified workers in the state. Some universities offer distance education programs to benefit those students who live far away from the campus. This enables a larger number of people to access the educational opportunities that may not have been possible earlier.

If you wish to discontinue your education at the community college level, you will be limiting your earning capability to a great extent. Community colleges serve as a springboard to university level education. Therefore, you should consider the benefits of transferring to a university, even though community colleges may offer a better learning environment.