Will an employer prefer a degree from an university/college over than one from a community college?
Is a degree from an university or a college more valued than one from a community college?
#degree #college
2 answers
Ken’s Answer
Starting out at a Community College is a wise and prudent step. Depending upon your career area, it can lead to a very good career in only two years, or it can be a great start on your educational journey, as the tuition costs are more reasonable, your class sizes are smaller that normal college classes, and there are opportunities for intern and coop programming which will allow your to earn money and get practical experience and create networking opportunities while studying. As graduate of a community and as one who has worked in human relations doing college recruiting for many years, I have found that community colleges are highly regarded. What matters most to an employer is how well you did in college and what advantage you took of career exploration opportunities that you found and took advantage of to become familiar with your career area of choice. I hired too many graduates who found out, once on the job, that they really did not like the practical application of what they had studied. Below are some tips from my years of experience.
Ken recommends the following next steps:
Nicole’s Answer
As I respond to your question in the year 2021, the world is grappling with the outcome of a global pandemic. And part of that outcome is a shortage of in-need employees. The impact of a rare occurrence like a global pandemic and it's fall out, has forced many changes in society including where employers place their emphasis when looking for good talent.
Even as I may suggest that now, in 2021, employers will look everywhere ( community college, vocational programs, apprenticeships, university/college) to get good talent, I think that even before the pandemic, there are certain career fields, where, if the curriculum is rigorous enough (and rigorous doesn't have to mean hard :)), an employer can and will recruit from a community college.
For most of my career, my work has been highly technical. A community college that has a strong technical curriculum could be just as important for recruiting from an employer as a university or college. One dependency would be on what specific skills the employer is looking for. Another dependency would be whether soon-to-be graduates can find a match in interest for a job that an employer seeks to fill.
Hope you find this answer helpful and best of luck to you!