Top 6 Reasons to Attend a Community College

Jan. 1, 2020

There are a ton of great reasons to attend a community college! The one most people think of first is cost. But there are many others, and we explore five more here.

1) Community College Can (and Probably Will) Save You Money

Generally, the average tuition and fees at your local community college will cost you less than a third of what it would cost to pay in-state tuition at a public Texas university. (And most community colleges offer the option of enrolling in a payment plan, so you can take care of these costs in installments.) By taking your first two years at a community college, you can save thousands of dollars in tuition and fees alone. That savings gets significantly higher if you’re planning to spend your first two years at a community college and then the last two years of your bachelor’s degree at an independent/private university.

Dallas College costs of attendance can be found here.

2) Community College Credits Are Often Just as Good as University Credits

Thanks to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Core Curriculum, there is a 42 credit hour core curriculum for Texas public institutions of higher education. The core consists of six main objectives, including:

• Critical thinking skills
• Communication skills
• Empirical and quantitative analysis
• Teamwork
• Social responsibility
• Personal responsibility

As long as you earn at least a 2.0 GPA in these core classes, it’s state law that these credits will transfer — as a block of credit or individually — to any other Texas public college or university.

You should always double check with your advisor first, but classes outside of the core curriculum may also transfer. Additionally, many community colleges develop articulation/transfer agreement with other universities to make your transition to a four-year college as seamless as possible. Articulation/transfer agreements benefit you because it means more of your classes outside of the core curriculum will transfer, provided you meet GPA and other requirements at your chosen university. And the more Dallas College credits you can transfer, the more money you’ll save on tuition and fees. Visit Dallas College Transfer Services for more information.

Finally, going to an accredited college means that the college has met certain standards of quality set by an independent accrediting agency. For example, Dallas College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Accreditation is one of the best ways to ensure your hard work toward your degree is recognized not only by other institutions, but also by future employers. (Plus, federal financial aid is only available to students of accredited colleges and universities.)

3) DART Around Town

You can get a free DART Student GoPass as a Dallas College student (provided you meet and maintain eligibility requirements). You don’t just have to use it to get to and from class, either. Your DART Student GoPass is good for things like:

• Riding to college
• Riding to and from special events
• Riding to Dallas Zoo
• Riding to Fair Park
• Riding to just about anywhere else you’d need or want to take DART!

All campuses are accessible by DART, whether you take the train, ride the bus or use DART’s on-demand GoLink service to pick you up. North Lake and El Centro both have DART light rail stops conveniently located near campus.

4) Community College Is Close to Home

Community colleges are, by definition, part of your local community. There are 50 community college districts in the state of Texas. Several of them have multiple colleges and campuses that were created with the intention of serving the needs of their neighbors. Dallas College alone has seven campuses and 13 centers, as well as four service locations.

Depending on your individual journey, you might not even physically have to set foot on a college campus, thanks to options like dual credit programs and online learning. Dallas Colleges has degrees and certificates that can be earned 100% online, making it not just a “close to home” option but a “no one will know if you wear pajamas to class” option.

5) Community College Offers Flexible Schedules

Online and distance learning classes? Yep. Evening and weekend classes? Yep. Fast Track classes? Yep. Flexible start and end dates (a.k.a. Flex Term) Yep, in both summer (Maymester) and winter (Wintermester). Whatever your schedule, community colleges can usually accommodate it. Additionally, you’re not limited to a “9-to-5” schedule when it comes to seeking on-campus help. Our Student Call Center is open until 10 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday and Saturday.

6) Community College Offers Tons of Options to Study

Community colleges usually offer a ton of program options. So while transferring your credits to a university is a common path, it’s not the only one. Many community colleges also offer a huge variety of vocational programs in areas like nursing and health care, manufacturing and industrial technology, business and hospitality, and so much more. If you’re looking to knock out some credits and transfer, that’s great, and we can help. But if your focus is on job skills development so you can earn a degree or certificate quickly and start working, community college is a great place to do that, too.

Dallas College has partnered with universities to prepare transfer pathways to assist you in shortening your time to completion.

Examples vocational pathways through a community college might be to study Logistics and Supply Chain Management or Automotive Technology. Upon completion of these programs, students are then qualified to enter the workplace. Some companies even establish scholarships specifically for students studying certain fields. Students are happy about free money for college expenses, and employers are happy knowing qualified applicants are joining the workforce. It’s win-win!

If you would like to find out more about getting started at Dallas College, visit our Future Students page. 

• Future Students