Community College Offerings in Pennsylvania

Community colleges are typically publicly funder two year colleges offering programs towards associate degrees or professional certificates and often used as stepping stone for students who later transfer to a four year college. Community colleges in Pennsylvania have agreements with many of the four year colleges and universities in the state which allow students to transfer credits they have earned from one institution to another. For those who cannot afford the high tuition of more traditional four year public and private colleges, community college offers a less expensive alternative, at least for two years.

The state of Pennsylvania has 14 community colleges recognized by the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges that serve 67 counties. Three of these schools; The Community College of Allegheny County, Harrisburg Area Community College, and Community College of Philadelphia, ranked in Community College Week's Top100 Associate Degree producer's for the nation in 2008 and 2009.

The Community College of Allegheny County has four campuses and six education centers throughout Allegheny County and the surrounding communities. The college offers more than 170 degrees and certificate programs, along with thousands of non-credit or continuing education courses. Courses are available days, evenings, weekends, and online to foster convenient access to education for all students with all types of learning needs and scheduling challenges. CCAC has an annual enrollment of approximately 62, 000 students with about half taking courses for credit and half pursuing non credit options. Average class size is about twenty students, and the average student is in their mid to late twenties. The college is dedicated to promoting diversity and has an Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion whose goal is to educate the college community on multiculturalism and related topics. Additionally, CCAC has established a Tactical Plan for Diversity and Inclusion which spans five years and addressing nine goals related to increasing diversity and awareness on and off of the college campus.

Harrisburg Area Community College serves central Pennsylvania through four campuses, a York center, and several off site facilities. The college offers degree and diploma programs in over 150 fields from Accounting to Criminal Justice. The college also offers a program for eligible high school students to earn college credit by taking courses on campus, online, or at their high school. Currently, the college is attempting to establish an Honors degree program which is slotted to begin in 2012. HACC already has several honors offerings and attempts to support Honors students through the Honors Student Education and Social Network available online.

The Community College of Philadelphia provides classes at more than thirty locations throughout the city, including its Main center and three regional education centers. Like many community colleges, CCP offers day, evening, weekend, and online programs. The school offers more than 70 associate degree, certificate, and continuing education options including Early Childhood Education, Nursing, and Addiction Studies. The college offers support services for students with disabilities including assistive technology and learning labs through its Center on Disability. Over half of the graduates form CCP move on to four year programs which is both encouraged and facilitated through the Dual Admissions Program. For more information on these or one of the other fourteen Pennsylvania Community Colleges check out the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges website at: www.pacommunitycolleges.org