Golden West College students walk to GWC Student Union on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 in Huntington Beach.
Leonard Ortiz | Orange County Register | Media News Group | Getty Images
Recent research shows that more high school graduates are pursuing a two-year degree rather than a four-year college education.
Rising college costs and the student loan debt associated with obtaining a degree are also contributing factors. New borrowing limits in 2026 under President Donald Trump’s “Big and Beautiful Bill” are also a factor. Additionally, more students are seeking vocational training and career-driven pathways to gain a foothold in today’s demanding labor market.
According to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, students ages 18 to 20 made up the largest group of first-time associate degree earners in the 2024-25 academic year, accounting for nearly a third. According to the report, this age group exceeded those aged 21 to 24 for the first time.
Although community college students typically tend to be older than those at four-year universities, the number of 18- to 20-year-olds earning associate degrees has jumped nearly 50% over the past decade, the report said.
According to the NSCRC degree attainment report, from 2024 to 2025, approximately 2 million students will earn the highest degree, a bachelor’s degree, and 865,400 students will earn an associate’s degree, an increase of 2.8% and 2.6% from the previous year, respectively.
A further 579,400 students earned an undergraduate diploma as the top award, an increase of 3.2% year-on-year and the highest in a decade.
“More students are earning certificates and degrees earlier, and this change reflects how postsecondary pathways are changing and starting earlier than ever before,” Matthew Holapple, senior director of research at the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, said in a statement.
This trend is likely to continue. Similarly, a previous report from the NSCRC found that fall community college enrollment increased by 3% from the previous year, while public four-year university enrollment increased by 1.4%. Enrollment in private four-year nonprofit institutions decreased by 1.6% over the same period.
“The data shows that students are gravitating toward more practical, career-oriented paths,” said Christopher Lim, president and CEO of command education, a university consulting firm. He said certificate programs grew 6.6% last year, and vocational schools have seen notable growth as well.
“Students are increasingly pursuing further education as they believe it has a direct bearing on employment outcomes,” Mr Lim said.
Advantages of a 2-year degree
Some of the benefits of community colleges are obvious.
What you should pay attention to is the cost. Tuition and fees at two-year public schools averaged $4,150 for the 2025-2026 school year, according to the College Board. Additionally, in-state tuition and fees averaged $11,950 at public four-year colleges and $45,000 at private four-year schools.
Under President Donald Trump’s “Big and Beautiful Bill,” which Congress passed last year, students enrolled in workforce training programs at community colleges could also be eligible for Pell Grants, a type of grant based solely on financial need. The grant is worth up to $7,395 in the 2025-26 academic year. Previously, these funds were only available to undergraduate students pursuing a degree.
Additionally, shorter programs can increase employability in certain industries, says Eric Greenberg, president of Greenberg Education Group, a New York City-based consulting firm.
“It means lower tuition costs, and in many cases it means the same outcomes,” Greenberg said.
“Are these degrees considered a shortcut? The answer is not necessarily,” he says. “There’s a market for skill sets that don’t necessarily require a lot of years.”
In some cases, community college is considered a gateway to a four-year school.
One way to earn a bachelor’s degree for significantly less money is to begin attending a community college and then transfer.
However, research shows that this is not as successful a route as experts had hoped.
Nationally, only about one-third of students who start at a community college end up transferring to a four-year school, according to several long-term studies. However, this study also shows that students who earn an associate’s degree from a community college before transferring have a higher success rate.
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