Because community colleges are meant to appeal to a broad range of people, class times meet a wide variety of schedules. Most community colleges offer standard daytime courses as well as evening and weekend classes. Many also offer some selection of online courses. Community colleges are also designed to be flexible in terms of schedule intensity. Students can attend school full time, or take a single course each semester in working toward a degree.
In addition to being flexible, community colleges are designed to be affordable. They are generally subsidized by state and local governments, which keeps the price of attendance low. Tuition is charged on a per-class or per-credit-hour basis. Students pay as they go for the classes that they take. This allows students to base their education on their income as well as their schedule.
Community colleges are also designed to be flexible in terms of the goals of students. Some students may only wish to take one course on a specific subject, while university-bound students can usually transfer community college credits to a four-year school. That means that students who wish to obtain a bachelor's degree from a four year school can take some of their early courses at a lower cost and on a flexible schedule. Community colleges also offer two-year associate's degrees and certificates for students wishing to enter trades to become, among other vocations, electricians, carpenters, and plumbers.
Community college classes tend to be smaller than those at state or private universities. This gives students an opportunity to receive more personal attention from teachers and to get to know their classmates. Unlike traditional universities where students tend to be in the same age group, students at community colleges represent a wide range of ages and backgrounds.