What To Know: North Carolina Community Colleges

A Community College is an educational institution that provides tertiary education and continuing education supplemental to traditional four-year universities and colleges. In the United States, Community Colleges are primarily two-year public institutions of higher education. Many Community Colleges also offer remedial education, General Educational Development tests, high school degrees, technical degrees and certificates, and a limited number of four-year degrees. As of 2023, there were 932 public Community Colleges in the United States AND North Carolina has the privilege of hosting 58 of them.

Unknown by most, Community College can be a more affordable and less time-consuming way for students to earn a degree. Additionally, attending Community College can be an easy way to gain entry to four-year institutions via the Transfer Program. Some students may choose to attend a two-year college to save money before transferring to a four-year college. For some four-year institutions, they provide easier enrollment to students who have already studied at a Community College.

In other news, Community Colleges received special attention in 2015 after President Barack Obama proposed to make Community College tuition free to many residents of the U.S. However, as of 2023, this initiative has not come to pass. For many individuals, Community Colleges offer the only opportunity for a college education, as tuition rates of public Community Colleges are significantly lower than for-profit colleges. In 2022, at private for-profit 2-year institutions, tuition costs totaled $15,826 on average, while public 2-year institution tuition costs were estimated to be $3,564 on average. This is also significantly lower than the cost of four-year institutions, making Community Colleges a more feasible option for many students.

Whether you are looking to further your education with continuing learning or you are raising a young lady or gentleman who is unsure of their future path to success, Wake Technical Community College is in your back yard and offers multiple opportunities for all parties. Wake Tech is North Carolina’s largest Community College, serving nearly 64,000 adults annually, with six campuses, two training centers, multiple community sites, and a comprehensive array of online learning options. Wake Tech is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and offers more than 250 associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates that prepare students for university transfer or immediate employment. More than half of those programs can be completed totally online. Wake Tech also offers short-term, non-degree programs as well as public safety training, small business support, customized corporate training, and basic skills courses such as English as a second language and high school equivalency preparation. Wake Tech also serves high school students at four Cooperative Innovative High Schools in partnership with Wake County Public Schools.

I say all of that to say that I personally want to invite you to the opening of Wake Tech’s seventh location in Wendell (Wake Tech East)! The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 25th, beginning at 5:30 pm EDT, at 5401 Rolesville Road (near I-87). There will be tours, music, food trucks, and lots of fun, so please plan to join this event to celebrate the expansion of Wake Technical Community College’s footprint in the Triangle. ALL are welcome to this event!

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