Opinion: Bachelor’s degree at a CCC

There is a range of opinion among experts in the field as to whether a four-year college degree is necessary in today’s highly automated workplace. In some cases, modern technological devices have replaced the need for human workers. But for many people, a bachelor’s degree is the pathway toward lifetime financial stability and upward social mobility. That singular sheet of paper can give its holder job security and can enable her or him to adopt a middle-class lifestyle.

Troubling news

But earning that four-year degree (which actually takes many students five or more years) requires a significant expenditure of money, as well as time. According to Forbes, for the 2021-2022 academic year, national data show that students at four-year colleges and universities paid about $9,700 per year. In addition, the cost of living on campus is nearly $15,000, and living off campus is a bit more than $18,000. Textbooks and supplies average between $1,100 and $1,200 per year. People who rely on student loans will find that their degree comes with a significant debt.

Moreover, getting into a four-year college or university can be difficult, and many of these institutions in California are lowering the number of new students who will be admitted each year. One way that students have used over the years to cut costs is to spend their first two years attending a local community college. In the Golden State, many of the courses are fully transferable from California Community Colleges (CCC) to California State Universities (CSU) and the University of California (UC).