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COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Increasingly, international students are looking at community colleges as their gateway to academic advancement. Like their American classmates, they are discovering that many of these unique schools have outstanding programs, transferable credits, reasonable fees, and supportive environments. These factors are so attractive that over 40 percent of the U.S. undergraduate population can be found in the classrooms of America's two-year colleges.

The number of international students at community colleges has been rising rapidly in recent years. With high-quality courses, simplified application procedures, low costs, extensive student support systems, committed teachers, and smaller classes, community colleges offer a unique way to access many aspects of U.S. higher education - from technical and vocational education to continuing education to full degree programs. For many international students, the quest for a U.S. bachelor's degree will begin at a community college.

Community colleges are sometimes called junior or two-year colleges, and there are more than 1,200 such colleges in the United States. Most community colleges are public or state-supported. A few are independent or under private control.

Like other post-secondary institutions in the United States, two-year colleges are varied. There are large multi-campus suburban systems with over 50,000 students and hundreds of programs and facilities. There are also small, rural schools with fewer than 1,000 students and a limited number of majors. Even the students are diverse, coming from all age groups, cultures, and economic backgrounds.

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