Traditionally, community colleges are much more cost effective per credit hour. This is helpful for students who may be looking to receive a higher education without scholarships or grants. As of 2010, Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kansas, was charging $88 per credit hour while the University of Kansas was charging $262.50 per credit hour for in-state residents. At a yearly rate, University of Kansas students were paying $8,000 plus the cost of books and other miscellaneous fees, depending on circumstances, while the Cloud County students were paying $3,000 per year with textbook cost included.
State college programs are focused on providing all entering students with a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree. Most community or city college programs, however, merely offer associate degrees. To obtain a bachelor's degree, most often students are forced to transfer to a state public or private college. Before applying to a community college, research a state college you are interested in transferring to, if you are looking to eventually get a bachelor's degree. Many college websites will have a list of credits that are eligible for transfer from community colleges around the country.
The student-to-teacher ratio is normally drastically lower at community colleges versus universities. Though universities provide a larger staff, it's hard to balance demand for certain courses versus the staff. In universities, many prerequisites, or required courses, are given in large auditoriums that may have dozens or even hundreds of students per class. In these situations, most students become a number as it is impossible for the professor to get to know each student on an individual basis; however, as students enroll in major-specific classes, the student-to-teacher ratio most often largely improves on the state level.
Many students choose to attend a community or city college right out of high school if their grades or tests scores were below average. Community colleges have a higher rate of acceptance and are efficient at helping students raise grade point averages so they are more likely to be accepted into a university at a later date.