More than half of all recent high school graduates in the United States pursued some type of higher education. Compared to the rest of the world, U.S. citizens pursue the most amount of education per capita. There are two basic types of post-secondary education institutions:

• Many kinds of colleges offer programs that are less than four years in length. Most schools offer education and training programs that last two years or less. These lead to a license, a certificate, an associate of arts (A.A.) degree, an associate of science (A.S.) degree, or an associate of applied science (A.A.S.) degree.

• These schools usually offer a bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.) degree. Some also offer graduate and professional degrees.

Colleges with programs that are less than four years in length are often called community colleges, technical colleges, or junior colleges:

• Community Colleges: These are public, two-year institutions, mostly serving students from surrounding communities. They offer academic, technical, and continuing education courses. They are supported by State and local revenues.

• Technical Colleges: These place a special emphasis on education and training in technical fields. Although some technical colleges offer academic courses and programs, not all technical colleges offer two-year programs that lead to an AA or AS degree. Technical colleges may be private or public.

• Junior Colleges: These are generally private, two-year institutions. Some are residential and attended by students from all over the U.S.

All of these schools provide tremendous advantages:

• Some programs at two-year colleges lead to an A.S. or A.A. degree in an academic discipline. They are comparable to the first two years of a general academic program offered by a four-year college or university. In many cases, two-year degrees can be transferred to four-year schools and credited toward a B.A. or B.S. degree.

• Many junior and community colleges offer technical/occupational training, such as studies in hospital related professions and computer related fields.

• Many junior, community, and technical colleges are in partnership with local businesses and human service providers. Some even link to high schools to train a new labor force. They are often referred to as "tech-prep" or "school-to-career" programs.

• Two-year colleges such as community colleges often operate under an "open admissions" policy that can vary from school to school. That means that anyone who has a high school diploma or GED certificate can enroll.

• Application requirements at colleges with two-year programs and shorter programs may include a high school transcript. Some schools allow for "open admissions," while other programs, particularly in scientific or technical subjects, may have further admission requirements.

Students who wish to pursue a general academic program usually choose a four-year college or university. This allows for more advanced studies and professional work later on. Four-year colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees (the B.A. and B.S.) in most areas in the arts and sciences, such as English literature, foreign languages, history, economics, political science, biology, zoology, chemistry, and in many other fields.

Here are the main differences between four-year colleges and universities:

Four-Year Colleges: These are post-secondary schools that provide four-year educational programs in the arts and sciences. These colleges confer bachelor's degrees.

Universities: These are postsecondary schools that include a college of arts and/or sciences, one or more programs of graduate studies, and one or more professional schools. Universities confer bachelor's degrees and graduate and professional degrees.

When students earn B.A.s, it signifies that he/she passed examinations in a broad range of courses and studied one or two subject areas in depth, also called a major.

This degree is required before being allowed to study on the graduate level to earn a degree, which is earned through two or more years of advanced studies beyond four years of college. This might be a master's or a doctoral degree in a particular field or a specialized degree required in certain professions such as biology, medicine or architecture.

Aside from these public and private institutions, other educational options prevail throughout the U.S. and abroad. For example, students may choose to attend the following institutions of learning:

• Military Schools
• Private Technical Schools
• Private Trade Schools

Information about these schools can be found on the web or in the Yellow Pages.

For more information buy

But What if I Don't Want to Go to College? by Harlow G. Unger

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