for a specific career, it's advisable to research the educational requirement of that particular position and then make sure that the school's curriculum offers all the training needed.

Of course, a public, state-supported, nonprofit two-year college or vocational school is a pretty safe bet. It has the advantages of stability, community involvement, and most likely a good sense of what kinds of training are needed in the surrounding business environment. A community college can probably also offer trustworthy advice on the availability of scholarships, loans, and other types of student aid.

For prospective students with

For at least four decades the conventional wisdom has been that as many high school graduates as possible should go on to earn a bachelor's degree at a four-year college. A bachelor's degree has been the ticket to entry into high-paying professional careers, and many corporations haven't allowed workers onto the first rung of their professional ladder without that degree. Two-year colleges are often looked upon more as vocational schools, and have traditionally been considered the stepsister of four-year institutions, suitable for those without the academic record to get into a "regular" college.

A lot has changed. As college tuition costs have spiked, many students leave a four-year college with a bachelor's degree and a whopping student loan debt, often in excess of $50,000. And with the realization that a four-year degree is no guarantee of a job related to their field of study, many students are opting out of the four-year school and into a two-year program.

Two-year colleges require students to complete certain general requirements, including English and math courses, just like their four-year counterparts, but the emphasis in a two-year college is work-oriented knowledge and the development of practical skills. Participants can earn Associate Degrees in a wide range of majors including accounting, business management, communications, information technology, and programs to prepare students for a variety of medically related professions.

Many programs, while set up to be completed in two years, can also be extended in a three-year timeline, allowing students to work part- or fulltime and pursue their education. There's also a clear path to advancement with some programs; students can opt for additional training at the same college. A program preparing a student for work as a physical therapy or occupational therapy assistant may also offer advanced programs leading to qualification as a licensed physical therapist. It's also possible in many cases to transfer credits from the two-year college to a four-year college.

One- and two-year technical schools, many of them private, for-profit institutions, have sprung up all over country offering training for a long list of different careers. Some caution is encouraged here: Many of the for-profit schools promise career placement after graduation, and fail to follow through. The curriculum can vary from school to school as well; before a student decides on a particular school which promises to prepare for a specific career, it's advisable to research the educational requirement of that particular position and then make sure that the school's curriculum offers all the training needed.

Of course, a public, state-supported, nonprofit two-year college or vocational school is a pretty safe bet. It has the advantages of stability, community involvement, and most likely a good sense of what kinds of training are needed in the surrounding business environment. A community college can probably also offer trustworthy advice on the availability of scholarships, loans, and other types of student aid.

For prospective students with a

uition costs have spiked, many students leave a four-year college with a bachelor's degree and a whopping student loan debt, often in excess of $50,000. And with the realization that a four-year degree is no guarantee of a job related to their field of study, many students are opting out of the four-year school and into a two-year program.

Two-year colleges require students to complete certain general requirements, including English and math courses, just like their four-year counterparts, but the emphasis in a two-year college is work-oriented knowledge and the development of practical skills. Participants can earn Associate Degrees in a wide range of majors including accounting, business management, communications, information technology, and programs to prepare students for a variety of medically related professions.

Many programs, while set up to be completed in two years, can also be extended in a three-year timeline, allowing students to work part- or fulltime and pursue their education. There's also a clear path to advancement with some programs; students can opt for additional training at the same college. A program preparing a student for work as a physical therapy or occupational therapy assistant may also offer advanced programs leading to qualification as a licensed physical therapist. It's also possible in many cases to transfer credits from the two-year college to a four-year college.

One- and two-year technical schools, many of them private, for-profit institutions, have sprung up all over country offering training for a long list of different careers. Some caution is encouraged here: Many of the for-profit schools promise career placement after graduation, and fail to follow through. The curriculum can vary from school to school as well; before a student decides on a particular school which promises to prepare for a specific career, it's advisable to research the educational requirement of that particular position and then make sure that the school's curriculum offers all the training needed.

Of course, a public, state-supported, nonprofit two-year college or vocational school is a pretty safe bet. It has the advantages of stability, community involvement, and most likely a good sense of what kinds of training are needed in the surrounding business environment. A community college can probably also offer trustworthy advice on the availability of scholarships, loans, and other types of student aid.

For prospective students with

ctical skills. Participants can earn Associate Degrees in a wide range of majors including accounting, business management, communications, information technology, and programs to prepare students for a variety of medically related professions.

Many programs, while set up to be completed in two years, can also be extended in a three-year timeline, allowing students to work part- or fulltime and pursue their education. There's also a clear path to advancement with some programs; students can opt for additional training at the same college. A program preparing a student for work as a physical therapy or occupational therapy assistant may also offer advanced programs leading to qualification as a licensed physical therapist. It's also possible in many cases to transfer credits from the two-year college to a four-year college.

One- and two-year technical schools, many of them private, for-profit institutions, have sprung up all over country offering training for a long list of different careers. Some caution is encouraged here: Many of the for-profit schools promise career placement after graduation, and fail to follow through. The curriculum can vary from school to school as well; before a student decides on a particular school which promises to prepare for a specific career, it's advisable to research the educational requirement of that particular position and then make sure that the school's curriculum offers all the training needed.

Of course, a public, state-supported, nonprofit two-year college or vocational school is a pretty safe bet. It has the advantages of stability, community involvement, and most likely a good sense of what kinds of training are needed in the surrounding business environment. A community college can probably also offer trustworthy advice on the availability of scholarships, loans, and other types of student aid.

For prospective students with

tant may also offer advanced programs leading to qualification as a licensed physical therapist. It's also possible in many cases to transfer credits from the two-year college to a four-year college.

One- and two-year technical schools, many of them private, for-profit institutions, have sprung up all over country offering training for a long list of different careers. Some caution is encouraged here: Many of the for-profit schools promise career placement after graduation, and fail to follow through. The curriculum can vary from school to school as well; before a student decides on a particular school which promises to prepare for a specific career, it's advisable to research the educational requirement of that particular position and then make sure that the school's curriculum offers all the training needed.

Of course, a public, state-supported, nonprofit two-year college or vocational school is a pretty safe bet. It has the advantages of stability, community involvement, and most likely a good sense of what kinds of training are needed in the surrounding business environment. A community college can probably also offer trustworthy advice on the availability of scholarships, loans, and other types of student aid.

For prospective students with

for a specific career, it's advisable to research the educational requirement of that particular position and then make sure that the school's curriculum offers all the training needed.

Of course, a public, state-supported, nonprofit two-year college or vocational school is a pretty safe bet. It has the advantages of stability, community involvement, and most likely a good sense of what kinds of training are needed in the surrounding business environment. A community college can probably also offer trustworthy advice on the availability of scholarships, loans, and other types of student aid.

For prospective students with a clear idea of the career they want to pursue, two-year colleges offer a relatively fast, and often less expensive, alternative to a four-year program. No longer considered "Plan B" for students not able to swing a bachelor's degree program, they're becoming a savvy alternative for anyone seeking professional education.