December 9, 2016 Starting at community college but have your sights set on a four-year degree? Think you’ll take a few courses then transfer? Then read this—there are at least five reasons you should reconsider and get an associate degree before you transfer. In the
big picture, people with associate degrees make more than people with high school diplomas. They make more than people with “some college”. An associate degree may help you find and keep a job. An associate degree for transfer is a step along the way to your bachelor’s and advanced degrees, with added earning power. And the more degreed-education you have, the less likely you are to be unemployed. Some studies estimate the increased earnings at over a million dollars! According
to the Department of Labor, students with an associate’s degree on average earn nearly double ($57,590) than those with some college credits and no degree ($28,730) Taking as many credits as you possibly can at a community college saves you big bucks. With four-year college and university tuition rising at double-digit rates every year, it makes sense to save your cash by finishing your 60-credit associate degree at community college tuition rates. And a 2012 study estimated that students starting at a community college who transferred to a four-year public university saved $1.9 billion, and students who transferred to private nonprofit institutions saved $1.7 billion. By completing their associates before transferring to a CSU school, part time students save more than $800 per class, and full time commuter students save more than $2500 per semester. Planning on living at a CSU? You’ll save almost $32,000 by getting your Associates and then transferring. Now that makes good business sense! 2. The résumé line: accomplishmentOn your résumé, it says you set a goal and met it. There’s something to be said for finishing what you start. Being able to show yourself, your family, friends, and employers that you have the ability to set goals and achieve them is powerful. 3. The employment line: credible, certified job-ready skillsWith an Associate Degree and the certificates you picked up along the way, you are telling employers that your skills are up to date. You are job-ready. And earning an associate degree was associated with an 11 percent increase in likelihood of being employed for women and an 8 percent increase for men. 4. The transfer line: Can you say “junior?”While over 80 percent of all entering community colleges indicate that they intend to earn a bachelor’s degree, only 15 percent end up doing so within six years. Students who transferred with an associate degree have a distinct advantage: they were 49 percent more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree within four years, and 22 percent more likely to earn one within six years. Finishing your AA or AS degree gives you some state-guaranteed privileges when you transfer to a four-year Connecticut State University. If you complete the requirements of the Northwestern CT Community College AS Business Administration degree, you have a guaranteed transfer degree. All of your lower-division credits will transfer, and (assuming you follow the required courses and maintain the required GPA) you will start as a junior ready to jump into your major courses. Agreements also exist between UConn and many private state colleges/universities, including Goodwin College, Post University, the University of Hartford, and the University of St. Joseph. Students who transfer 90 percent or more of their credits were two and half times as likely to complete a bachelor’s degree as students who transferred less than half their credits. 5. The life line: Nobody can take it away from youMaybe life happens to you along the way to your bachelor’s degree. A move. An accident. A change in goals. You have an associate’s degree, no matter what life puts before you. Sources
Want some more info? https://www.mainstreet.com/article/student-loan-debt-load-keeps-rising-across-all-income-levels Hi, RepeatRach! I agree that a student should do research and consult with a program advisor from the institution that the student wants to enter. He or she will get the most accurate rundown of which credits transfer and which can be applied towards the 4-year program. From my viewpoint here at a public community college in NJ, this would be the best route as our higher ed system is decentralized. while some CCs have close working relationships between its advising depts and 4-year schools' depts, not all do, so the information may not be current. My intern last semester encountered this problem. He completed his AS degree in CS and was accepted with junior status, but the credits he thought would apply to his major were not accepted. Regarding reverse transfer, I would add a note that not all higher ed state systems offer reverse transfer. For example, in NJ, some CCs have reverse transfer agreements with certain 4-yr schools, but not all. Unlike schools in states with a centralized higher ed system, the reverse transfer process is not seamless and system-wide. Should I start with an associate's degree?Because of the shorter timeframe, associate degrees are often more affordable than bachelor's degree programs. If you're just beginning your college journey, an associate degree can serve as an introduction to higher education and provide a key stepping stone to a 4-year degree.
Do you need an associate's degree to transfer to a UC?Note: UC does not require an Associate's Degree for transfer.
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Should you get an associates degree before transferring
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