2-Year Schools: Good Way To Start Out A B.A.

Two-year schools may be changing, but one thing still rings true -- two-year colleges can lead you to a four-year degree.

According to the Kansas City Star, students who start at a community college -- then transfer to a four-year school -- have the same graduation rates as students who start and stay at four-year schools.

It's not always a seamless step, says Richard Thomson, director of admissions at the NEI College of Technology in Columbia Heights, Minn. But schools have made the process a lot easier.

"It's up to the receiving institution what number of credits they take," says Thomson. But most two-year schools articulate, or have partnership programs, with one or more four-year schools.

Even vocational schools can lead to a degree, says Don Plotts, superintendent of the Pioneer Career and Technology Center in Shelby, Ohio.

"It used to be a shortcoming of vocational education that it didn't lead to a degree," says Plotts. "But now the vocational schools have articulation with the technical schools and community colleges -- and they in turn have articulation with most four-year institutions."

The advantage, Plotts says, is that you can get an associate degree, enter the workforce -- and then enroll in a four-year school with both work experience and a degree under your belt.

"At a reduced cost, I might add," says Plotts.

Additional Resources:

Indiana Career and Postsecondary Advancement Center
Make your college-credit transfer a success.

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