Community College Choices in St. Louis Make the Grade

Community colleges fit the needs and lifestyles of many people seeking additional education. Those two year programs usually culminate in an associate's degree for those not wanting a bachelor's degree, but also offer a less expensive option for starting higher education before transferring to a four-year college. Flexible class schedules, often meeting on nights and weekends and at convenient locations, make community college a good choice for many working students.

St. Louis offers several good community college options throughout the metropolitan area, but the principal school is Saint Louis Community College. Four main campuses make commuting to school easy: the Forest Park campus is centrally located, Florissant Valley lies to the north, Meramec to the southwest and Wildwood in West St. Louis County. Additionally, Saint Louis Community Colleges offers classes in additional education centers as well as local schools, churches and other community facilities.

Programs are offered in numerous disciplines within the arts and sciences. For those interested in a teaching career, Saint Louis Community College offers a special foundational program for the student before they transfer to a four-year college. For the adventurous learner there are even study abroad programs conducted in England, Italy, Germany, Greece, Vietnam and Costa Rica.

Applications are accepted any time and can be submitted online. Saint Louis Community College has no minimum academic standards for admission. Residents of the District (the City or County of St. Louis and some parts of Jefferson and Franklin Counties) may attend for $83 a credit-hour, while the rate for other Missouri residents is $123 per credit-hour. Residency in the District can be established immediately to obtain the lower tuition.

To the west St. Charles Community College holds classes at its non-smoking campus in Cottleville, Missouri, and also offers a distance learning program. Degree programs are varied and include nursing, theater, criminal justice, business, chemistry and many others. Admission generally requires a high school diploma or GED certificate. Tuition is only slightly less expensive than Saint Louis Community College with St. Charles County residents receiving lower fees than students from outside the community college district.

Jefferson College resides on three campuses, with the two satellite campuses located just south of St. Louis in Arnold and High Ridge, Missouri. Arts and science and technical curriculums in numerous fields can be pursued. Some online classes are offered. Applicants must be a high school graduate or have a GED Certificate, and apply by July 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester (several programs have different deadlines). Tuition is slightly higher than the other two schools, with the preferential rate given to Jefferson County residents.

St. Louis area residents may also consider attending Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville or Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois. However, out of state tuition rates will be substantially higher than those charged at the Missouri counterparts to those schools.

Not only can further education be obtained in a wide variety of subject areas, but St. Louisans can pursue their studies at any number of convenient campuses and satellite facilities. That convenience, ease of admission and available financial aid makes it difficult for the recent high school graduate or adult wanting additional education to find excuses to put off their first day of classes any longer.