18 Reasons to Attend Community College

If you have been considering starting college or going back to school, you should definitely consider community college first. From tuition to the quality of education to hands-on training, there are hundreds of reasons.

Here are the top 18 reasons to attend a community college:

1. Pay less. The Maricopa Community Colleges has affordable tuition rates. 
2. Increase your earning power. Students can secure vital jobs with median wages of $55,000 annually and potentially more. There are plenty of two-year associate degrees that have a high return on investment. Check out some of the high-paying jobs that require only an associate degree.
3. Find a job. According to the 2022 Bureau of Labor, predictions indicate that the second-fastest-growing group of occupations, at 17.6 percent, is those requiring an associate's degree. The newest jobs projected are expected to be in occupations requiring a postsecondary non-degree award.
4. Hands-on training and experience. The Maricopa Community Colleges are uniquely positioned to create partnerships with local employers, such as State Farm, Galvanize, and Apple, to benefit students.
5. Network. Since community colleges partner with local industries, employers from those industries are often right on the community college campus, interacting with students and staff.
6. Gain education for the most in-demand jobs. The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) training and certifications account for 95% of Arizona's most in-demand jobs. MCCCD has also partnered with companies like Intel, Amazon, and Microsoft to provide students with innovative programs in current, high-demand industries.
7. Get the degree at your pace. Flexibility is a vital part of the community college model. Making education accessible for working adults, parents, or otherwise busy people is a significant role in the community served.
8. Flexible learning options. A large majority of core classes are available online to make it easier to complete a degree or credential on your schedule.
9. High-quality education. MCCCD is built on high-quality— award-winning faculty dot the halls at the Maricopa Community College, which means you learn from top-tier professors in their fields.
10. Personalized attention. Due to the community college structure, smaller classes are more common in 100 and 200-level courses compared to the university level. This means you can get more face time with the professor to make sure you understand the material.
11. Receive the help you need. The Maricopa Community Colleges are all learning colleges. This means that they are devoted to student success and teaching instead of research.
12. Close to home. With 10 Maricopa Community College locations across the Phoenix metro area, there is one close to your neighborhood, with free parking. Complete your degree or certificate program with less commuting stress.
13. Earn money to help you pay. At Maricopa Community Colleges, we make it easy to file for financial aid, apply for scholarships from MCCCD or the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation (MCCF), and offer our students work-study positions.
14. Perfect for nontraditional students. Community college is an excellent fit for all students. However, it is a perfect fit for first-time or returning students with families, work, or other obligations due to the school-work-life balance you can achieve by attending part-time.
15. Easily transfer to a university. The Maricopa Community Colleges have made it easy to transfer to in-state universities smoothly. We offer transfer pathways to Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, the University of  Arizona, and Grand Canyon University.
16. Add a little more to your degree. Most degree programs offer corresponding or related professional certificates, such as a Social Media Marketing certificate, to give your resume and skill set a boost. Certificates generally only take 2-6 more classes to complete.
17. Easier admission policies. At Maricopa Community Colleges, we make it easy for anyone who wants to attend college. We have admission policies that remove the stress of applying.
18. A fresh start. If you did not perform well in high school, community college is a fresh start. Use community college to improve your overall grade point average. When it is time to transfer to a four-year school to finish your degree, the only things that will matter are your community college classes and grades.