History of Community Colleges in the United States

Community colleges in the United States develop rapidly and have become a vital component of the postsecondary education delivery system. As of 2011-2012 school year, 45% of all undergraduate students were enrolled in public two-year colleges, approximately 8.3 million students (Knapp et al., 2012. Cited by AACC Fast Facts). And it seems that with globalization and Obama’s education agenda, the trend of growing enrollment in community colleges won’t change. A high school graduate who decides to pursue postsecondary education may face with a dilemma--whether enroll in a community college or a traditional four-year college. Even within a community college, a student may be faced with a choice—enroll in a vocational program and enter workforce after graduation with a vocational certification, or choose an academic program with an intention of transferring to four-year institutions. This paper will first give a brief introduction on community college in the United States—its past and present. Then it will examine four main purposes for students attending a community college today. In the next part, an economic comparison between community college and four-year university will be given with a focus on two specific programs. At last, implication and conclusion will be presented. The past and present of community college â€Å"The two-year college has been a distinctively American creation, and nowhere else has it attained such prominence† (Brint Karabel, 1989). Once commonly calledShow MoreRelatedMinority Serving Institutions ( Msis )1415 Words   |  6 Pagesserves to provide a college education for citizens across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic differences that were excluded from higher education throughout the United States History. 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