Name: Why students are choosing community college over four-year degrees
Uploaded: 2026-01-15T19:13:04.123Z
Duration: 2 min 48 s
Description: Students are shifting away from four-year degrees toward certificate and associate degree programs. A new study finds that enrollment in bachelor’s degree programs increased by only 0.9% in fall 2025.

Students are shifting away from four-year degrees toward certificate and associate degree programs. A new study finds that enrollment in bachelor’s degree programs increased by only 0.9% in fall 2025.

Enrollment in certificate and associate degree programs has outpaced growth in four-year bachelor's programs, with students increasingly drawn to the lower tuition and reduced debt burden offered by community colleges. The average annual tuition at two-year public schools is significantly less than at four-year institutions, and many students are wary of accumulating large amounts of student debt, which currently exceeds $1.6 trillion in the U.S.

Additional factors influencing this trend include the impact of artificial intelligence on entry-level job opportunities and new federal policies expanding Pell Grant eligibility to workforce training programs at community colleges. While this shift may strain four-year colleges financially, projections indicate that demand for bachelor's degrees could rise again, with 42% of jobs expected to require such qualifications by 2031.

Why students are choosing community college over four-year degrees

Students have been moving away from four-year degrees in favor of certificate and associate degree programs. Enrollment in bachelor's degree programs grew just 0.9 percent, while enrollment in undergraduate certificate and associate degree programs grew by 1.9 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively. This is a trend I've been watching for years, but there are some key changes this year that make it even more striking. First, the cost of education. Community college is significantly less expensive. At two-year public schools, tuition fees averaged $4,150 this year. At four-year in-state public colleges, the cost rises to $11,950. At four-year private colleges, the average cost is $45,000. That's a big difference. Students are also wary of taking on so much debt. More than 42 million Americans hold student loans with outstanding debt exceeding $1.6 trillion. Among borrowers, 77 percent report that student debt is a huge burden, and 63 percent say that their education was not worth the impact that that debt had on their overall well-being. Some college graduates are also finding it harder to land jobs, as a portion of entry-level positions are increasingly displaced by artificial intelligence. AI is one of many factors that is impacting the job market currently. Of course, there's a lot going on with the economy, there's a lot going on with the federal administration at the moment, and then AI, of course, is emerging and changing and redefining what jobs will look like, especially for early talent. So AI certainly is playing a role in the experience many of our students are facing. The current administration is also incentivizing short-term training programs. Under President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, passed by Congress last July, students enrolling in workforce training programs at community colleges are now eligible for Pell Grants, a form of aid awarded solely based on financial need. Some experts I talked to told me that this is especially valuable for students concerned about the cost of schooling. However, the shift toward short-term programs could add to revenue strain at four-year colleges, worsening enrollment declines and rising costs. This isn't just bad news for colleges. It could also hurt the job market over time. While college graduates are currently struggling to find work, that may change, and it could be even more important to have a four-year degree going forward. Georgetown University projects that by 2031, 42 percent of jobs will require at least a bachelor's degree. In 2024, about 25 percent of U.S. jobs required at least a bachelor's degree for entry.

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