Things to Look for:  Courses offered  Housing options  Cost  Type of degree  What you can do after college  Other learning opportunities  Who typically goes there

Courses Offered 2-Year College  General pre-requisite classes so that you can transfer to a 4-year college  Classes that prepare you for a specific job  ESOL, Writing, Pre- College Math 4-Year College  Anything: Biology, Math, Literature, Foreign Languages, Art, Music, Economics, etc.  Spend the first 2 years taking general requirements in lots of areas, then years 3 and 4 in an area of your choice

Housing Options 2-Year College  School doesn’t have any housing available, or any housing requirements 4-Year College  Most have housing available for students. Rent is included in the cost of the school (called “Room and Board.”)  Some require students to live on campus for their first two years

Cost for Classes (Tuition) 2-Year College  National average cost for 1 year: $2,963 4-Year College  Cost depends on many factors, including public vs. private and in-state vs. out-of-state  1 year at an in-state, public college average: $8,244 + more for Room & Board  1 year at a private college average: $28,500 + more for Room & Board

Type of Degree 2-Year College  Associate’s Degree  Certification for a job (ex: CNA, HVAC, etc) 4-Year College  Bachelor’s Degree (BA or BS)

Other Learning Opportunities 2-Year College  Internships and on- the-job trainings  Some clubs and extra- curricular programs 4-Year College  Attend performances and speeches by famous writers, politicians, and academics  Lots of student-run clubs  Study abroad (Spend a semester at a college in another country)  Fraternities & Sororities

Who Goes There? 2-Year College  People who want to go directly into a job such as nursing, dental assistant, medical billing, fire management, etc.  People with low GPAs and SAT scores who want to raise their grades then go to a 4- year college 4-Year College  People who want to study a wide range of topics  People who are unsure of what job they want  People who might want to further their education and become a lawyer, doctor, scientist, psychologist, teacher, etc.

How do I decide which is right for me? For some people, the choice will be obvious, but for others, it is difficult to decide. If you are unsure, you should keep all your options open. Learn about several different 2-year and 4- year colleges. Apply to all different kinds of schools. When it gets close to decision time, go there for a visit. Talk to students about how they chose the school.