Starting at a community college is more popular than you might think. Of the students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree from U.S. institutions in 2016, 49% had attended a community college, and two-thirds of those did so for three or more terms, according to National Student Clearinghouse data.
As to whether it makes sense, “it depends a lot on what a student’s goals are following the bachelor’s degree,” says Melinda Salaman, director of strategic research at higher-education consulting firm EAB. It’s important to research career outcomes, including what your expected salary trajectory will be, before you decide what sort of degree to pursue and what sort of school to attend, she says.