You have a wide range of options when it comes to furthering your education. Colleges with special missions, same-sex colleges, community colleges, vocational schools, liberal arts colleges, and four-year universities are among the options.

Do you know of any other higher education programs? What exactly is a junior college, and why should you put one on your list of potential colleges to attend? Let’s examine it more closely.

An Explanation Of Junior Colleges

 A 2-year associate degree program is offered at junior college, also referred to as community college. You will transfer to an NCAA or NAIA school after the first two years to finish the last two years of your degree there. The college coach will typically directly recruit you. In order to assist those who aren’t being recruited, College Sports America provides a transfer service.  

Junior colleges typically serve one primary purpose: to make higher education more easily accessible in terms of finances, location, and curriculum. 

Origin Of Junior Colleges

Junior colleges were first established in 1901 as the creation of two men: In addition to J. William Rainey Harper, who serves as president of the University of Chicago, J. Stanley Brown, the Joliet Township High School principal. 

It was an experiment that led to the creation of junior colleges. The concept behind Harper and Brown’s college was to make it more or less a continuation of high school. This two-year “junior college” would offer students an accessible and affordable education that would help them get ready for a four-year university.

Back then, many junior college students were the children of farm families, shopkeepers, and other blue-collar workers who were deeply involved in their community. There was also a deep sense of pride in supporting these affordable colleges that helped smaller communities grow and thrive. 

Are you beginning to see where we’re going with this? At some point, we switched to referring to junior colleges as “community colleges.”” Shortly after junior colleges evolved and started to offer certificates that didn’t require students to continue their education at a four-year university, the name was changed.

What Distinguishes A Community College From A Junior College?

Both junior colleges and community colleges take pride in providing flexible programs that meet the needs of their local communities, so no, really. However, many junior colleges that self-identify as such are private institutions. Since the vast majority of community colleges in the United States are public institutions, they are typically more affordable and may even be tuition-free.

In conclusion, aside from the fact that one is typically public and the other may be private, junior college and community college don’t really differ significantly from one another. Comparing private junior colleges to public community colleges, private junior colleges are typically more expensive to attend.

Don’t let the price deter you from applying though if you’re interested in attending a junior college! Private institutions frequently provide generous financial aid packages to help offset their higher tuition costs. 

To reduce the sticker price, you can also apply for college scholarships. Be sure to read How Do Scholarships Work on our blog. – to learn more about how you can earn that sweet, sweet scholarship dough to pay for college.

What Makes A Junior College Good?

Since George Lucas, one of the greatest filmmakers ever, attended a junior college, you should too. Just kidding. (Well, not really — he did go to College Junior in Modesto.)

But in all seriousness, the following are some factors that may influence your decision to attend a junior college:

• You desire a cost-effective education. Despite the fact that many people refer to private community colleges as “junior colleges,” some of them are public institutions that provide extremely affordable education. Furthermore, by transferring from a community college to a university, many students are able to significantly reduce the cost of their bachelor’s degree.
• You want options. Junior colleges are no longer just stepping stones to a four-year degree. Today, they provide a variety of courses and certificates, ranging from two-year degrees (associate of arts, an associate of science, etc.) to medical certificates that can be earned in less than a year.
• You want flexibility. To accommodate a wide range of student needs, many junior colleges offer courses in a number of formats. Some junior colleges, like Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, have multiple small campuses spread across various locations so that students can attend school close to home. 

What Other Benefits Does Junior College Offer?

The campus and classes are considerably smaller in junior college. Because of this, a more intimate community is formed, which is ideal for people who have never lived away from home. Junior College is a fantastic choice for athletes with a limited budget. You will have more opportunities to receive a larger scholarship from universities if you continue to improve your playing during your time there.