Two Year V. Four Year Education

Two-year vs. Four-year Education

Introduction

After High School, everyone wonders if college is the right place to be. Some wish to build an entire career studying, while some rather spend their time in jobs that offer them the experience necessary to gain knowledge. Therefore, there are many programs available to fit the needs of each individual. Today, universities and colleges offer certificates, 2-year programs, 4-year programs and much more. Each one of these having its own advantages or disadvantages. But how should one know what is the best road to take?

II. Types of degrees

1. Two-year Education

2. Four-year Education

III. Benefits

1. Two-year Education

a. Lower cost

b. Proximity to Home

c. Exploring opportunity

d. Open Admission Policy

2. Four-year Education

a. Jobs and Salaries

b. Broad Range of options

c. Specialized fields

d. Environment

IV. Drawbacks or disadvantages

1. Two-year Education

a. Credit Acceptance

b. Limited Jobs and Salaries

2. Four-year Education

a. Being away from home

b. Money issues

c. Graduate School

V. Examples (Income and training differences)

1. Two-year Education

2. Four-year Education

3. Statistics

VI. Conclusion

To compare and contrast the two choices of either being in school for two or four years, their definitions, advantages and disadvantages have been reviewed. To be able to choose one of the two options, it is left up to the person deciding. Which one is better? It depends entirely on the needs of the person and their individual choices. The facts are concrete and the differences are clear. Both offer benefits such as increased wages or less time and money spent. They also have their own disadvantages and limitations such as location or diversity. It depends entirely on what one might like; it is a matter of choice and most importantly "priorities".

After High School, everyone wonders if college is the right place to be. Some wish to build an entire career studying, while some rather spend their time in jobs that offer them the experience necessary to gain knowledge. Therefore, there are many programs available to fit the needs of each individual. Today, universities and colleges offer certificates, 2-year programs, 4-year programs and much more. Each one of these having its own advantages or disadvantages. But how should one know what is the best road to take?

Understanding each of the programs offered is the first step towards making the right decision. The first and fastest program is getting a certificate or diploma; this can be earned in a year or less and it is typically used to extend knowledge in any given subject. Therefore, this is one less option to consider since we probably will not need this until further in our college education. Then comes the "Associates Degree", this is the two year program that most people consider when going to college. In fact, it is everything one needs to "enter a technical or vocational field" and it is offered at two-year and some four-year colleges or universities. Following that is the Bachelors Degree, which involves a more specialized study in any given subject that lasts typically four or more years. It consists of a general education combined with specialized classes on a specific major, which is according to the College Board "a subject or field of study chosen by a student to represent his principal interest". Associates and Bachelors degrees are the two options we have to pick from when we choose to begin a career in college. Simultaneously, there are other options after we complete our education created to enhance and update our knowledge. These are called masters, doctorates and professional degrees which eventually will be able to improve our career development and benefits, but this is also not relevant when talking about choosing a path at the beginning of college.

Opting to study in a two-year school has several benefits. The first and most important would be being able to afford it, since it has a much lower cost than a four-year college. According to studies made by the American Education Services "On average, a four-year university or college costs four times more than a community college annually", this is entirely based on tuition; it does not include books or place of living. Another important benefit would be the location; community colleges are situated in almost every county, which makes it easier to stay close to family and friends. As was stated before, not a lot people go into college knowing exactly what they want to do for