Honors programs curricula in community colleges can be as good as any in a four-year institution. Before the introduction of honors programs in community colleges, critics argued that bright students were often unchallenged intellectually while instructors focused on students with difficulty understanding course content. The introduction of honors programs, though, rendered credence to the quality of education in these colleges. Many honors programs in community colleges engage students in more challenging academic work. Because of honors programs, community colleges are now able to attract highly motivated students. Such programs prepare superior students to transfer to high-quality four-year programs.
Community colleges have now become part of the bigger picture of American education. California's Master Plan For Higher Education, for instance, advocates making transfer concerns in community colleges a "central part of the mission of the system," according to the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. Faculty mentoring, high retention, strong academic preparation and "the perception of capability to transfer" define the mission of community colleges in California. Honors programs are at the center of such an agenda. Many community colleges have developed relationships with senior institutions. Cerro Coso Community College in California, for instance, has a transfer agreement with University of California Los Angeles, University of California Irvine, San Diego State University and Occidental College.
Many students who enter an honors program at a community college plan to graduate from a senior college. Highline Community College in Washington State, for example, launched its honors program in 2003 with 15 students. By 2010, the number of honors students soared to 250. About 95 percent of the students who complete at least 15 hours of honors credit go on to graduate at a senior institution, according to insidehighered.com, an online source of news and opinion for higher education. By 2009, the National Collegiate Honors Council, an association of undergraduate honors programs and colleges, had 167 members. That figure, according to insidehighered.com, represents 13 percent of the association's entire membership.
Honors programs are increasingly attracting college-bound students who cannot afford the high cost of higher education at a senior institution. Students can spend the first two years of their college education in an honors class at a community college before completing it at senior college. By attending a nearby community college, you can also save money on room and board by living at home and commuting to class and avoid graduating with huge debts in student loans. An honors program at a community college is typically designed to prepare a student to complete studies at a four-year college. By so doing, you will save substantially on tuition, room and board and other expenses.