Would there be an educational difference if I went to a community college instead of university?

Answer 1

easier classes, overburdened/apathetic teachers, under-qualified professors, and community colleges aren't respected as well as normal colleges.

Answer 2

There will be pluses and minuses. Community college courses will be taught entirely by professors, while some universities often use graduate students for low level courses. Community college professors devote themselves entirely to teaching, while university professors are primarily researchers who do a little bit of teaching. Community college classes are usually smaller, so you can have some hope of having the professor know your name, which won't happen in the typical intro course at the typical large university.

On the flip side, university professors will be world experts in their subjects, while community college professors will often have only a master's degree. University professors teach only one or two classes a semester, while community college professors teach four or five, and university professors will have teaching assistants, which community colleges rarely have. The science lab facilities will be better at universities. Courses will be usually more demanding at universities with high admissions standards, so you will learn more.

In general, I think it's a pretty good system - community college faculty would often be strained to teach upper level undergraduate courses, but can often do a better job than universities with the intro level courses.

Answer 3

It depends on your state. In my state, all classes at community college transfer fully to any 4 year university in my state and they have the same exact standards and agendas. You'll want to check that out. Community colleges are typically smaller so you get more individualized attention, they are also much less expensive!

Answer 4

it depends where you live. in Illinois you can take your core classes at a community college then transfer to a state university as a junior.

Answer 5

Yes. The main ones are that the quality of your fellow students and the faculty will not be as high as if you were at a university.