When I left the Military for college in 1996, deciding to go to community college was a "no-brainer." Smaller class sizes, instructors focused on teaching and not research, and significantly lower cost all contributed my decision. Simply making it through with good grades and the least amount of debt were my two primary goals for my first two years of college. In saying this, I do realize that you may have a different expected outcome for your first two years of college. For example, my wife Joeli attend 4 years at Colorado State where she made relationships that will last a lifetime while participating as a Gamma Phi Beta. Greek life and socialization were key factors to her declaring success after her first two years of college, and there is nothing wrong with that, so long as you are purposeful.
Recently, I read an article in the USA today about the impact of the first two years of college. It seems as though the only real benefit to attending the first two years are for socialization. The most current figures estimate a year of attendance at the University of Colorado is $25,752. The total cost of attendance at a local community college is $16,799, creating a net savings of about $18,000 over 2 years. To put this into context, at 5 percent interest on a 10 year student loan, you are spending an additional $190 per month to attend the university.
These figures caused me to reflect on the question, "is it better to attend a community college or a university for your first 2 years of college? No one can answer this question except for you. By establishing a list of values and a purpose statements, you can assess if the benefits outweigh the cost in your specific situation. Invest the time necessary to ensure that your first two years are intentional and that you get what you hoped from your experience. If making through college with good grades and the least amount of debt are you two most important outcomes for your first two years of college, then a look at your local community college may help you to be $18,000 better off after graduating college.
