If you want to jumpstart your career and get a college education remotely, an online community college is the way to go.
Online community colleges make accessing a college degree easier than ever. Tuition is usually affordable and schedules are very flexible. These features make online community colleges work for almost every student. You’ll graduate ready to take the next steps in your career.
What Is an Online Community College Degree?
Online community colleges offer students a modern way to get a degree. They offer all classes online and can be finished on your own schedule. Their structure makes education convenient. Since most are publicly funded, they’re a more affordable choice than state colleges. They have a wide range of programs in many different fields. Options include education, business, animal science, and more.
Online community colleges also are a great way to take classes before transferring into a state college. They help make college cheaper and shorten the road to a bachelor’s degree. Many online community colleges offer certificates, as well. These are non-degree programs that teach practical job skills. Certificates help to boost your resume without the commitment of a degree. Like degrees, there’s a variety of certificates available. Some options are accounting, wellness, and agriculture.
How Much Can You Earn with an Online Community College Degree?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average person with a community college degree earns about $46,000 a year. This is much higher than the salary of people without a college degree and people with only some college. The salary ranges depending on your career, as well. On the low end, people can make about $20,000. On the high end, people could make over $80,000.
Since an online community college degree is a great way to jumpstart a career, the earning opportunity is limitless. You could choose to go on to earn your bachelor’s, which would help increase your salary even more.
What Is Required for an Online Community College Degree?
Like salaries, online community college degree requirements depend a lot on what the degree is in. No matter the program, classes are offered in synchronous and asynchronous formats. Synchronous classes meet online at a certain time. With asynchronous classes, you can work on your own schedule. Some schools have a combo of the two, while others may be all one format.
You can also plan to take some general courses, like math, science, history, and English. After these classes are done, you’ll be able to move on to classes that are specific to your degree program. In all your classes, it’s important to have good study skills and time management. You’ll also need a reliable computer and a strong internet connection. This will prevent lots of stress when technical issues come along.
What Are the Best Online Community College Degrees?
OSR uses six data points: three school-wide and three program-specific. For school-wide, OSR uses Student Satisfaction, Admission Rates, and the number of programs the school offers online. For program specific, OSR checks the Median Debt of graduates from that program, how many degrees are offered within that program’s umbrella department, and what percentage of students at that school graduated from that department.
The six statistics are displayed by each school. The sliding bar under each statistic represents how that school compares to other US institutions. “Not reported” means a school did not release that information to the US Department of Education. A more detailed description of the OSR process can be found on the methodology page
Frequently Asked Questions
Are online community colleges time-consuming?
How time-consuming your online community college is depends on the specific schedule. These degrees are available in both full-time and part-time options. If you’re not already working, full-time might be the way to go. A full-time schedule will allow you to finish your degree in less time. But, since you’ll be finishing your degree in a shorter period of time, you’ll have to take more classes each semester. A bigger course load will definitely keep you pretty busy. You’ll need to devote a lot of your time and energy to keep up with multiple classes at once. If you already have a job or other time commitments, a part-time degree is a great fit. With part-time online community college degrees, you’ll take fewer classes at once. You won’t be nearly as busy day-to-day and you’ll have more time to spend on other things. Because you’re taking fewer classes, however, it will take longer to finish your degree as a whole.
Another factor to consider is the number of credit hours of each class. More intense classes tend to be higher in credit hours, while electives and less intense classes are lower. Credit hours are often related to how much time you’ll need to spend on that particular class each week. With that in mind, it’s important to choose classes that balance each other out.
Where can you work with an online community college degree?
Job options with an online community college degree are endless. Most schools offer a variety of degree programs to choose from. Students can pick what they study based on their interests and will be qualified applicants for a job in that field after graduating. Many online community colleges offer a business degree. With an associate’s in business, you could work for both local and national companies. Education degrees are another common offering. An associate’s degree in education opens doors to jobs in public and private school districts. Many online community colleges also have degrees in criminal justice. With this degree, you could work for a police department or the local government.
Online community college degrees are also a great way to start working on a bachelor’s degree. If getting a bachelor’s degree is your goal, getting your associate of arts will get you part of the way there. This degree will fulfill many of the general education requirements at four-year colleges. This means that you’ll be able to get to career-specific classes right away. Nearly every online community college offers an associate of arts degree. Just be sure that your credits will transfer to the schools you’re planning to apply to later.
Whether you want to work right after graduation or go on to complete a four-year degree, online community colleges are the perfect place to start. These degrees are an amazingly flexible and affordable way to further your education. You can choose from a range of programs and study a field you’re passionate about. Full-time and part-time schedules also allow you to finish your degree at your own pace. With your associate’s degree, you’ll be able to open the doors to take your career to new heights. After you graduate, you’re sure to be a prepared and competitive applicant for jobs in your chosen field.