College

A college degree can help you qualify for jobs, get promoted in your career, and earn more money.

There are two main types of college degrees:

• Associate degrees usually take two years of full-time college work, but some can take up to four years.
• Bachelor's degrees usually require four years of full-time college work, but some take longer.

Learn more about colleges that might meet your needs at Local Training Finder. You'll be able to search for schools by keyword and location.

As you search, take note of factors that are important to you. Some of these may include:

• Reputation of major or field of study
• Location of school or facility
• Cost of program or courses
• Student body size
• Faculty/student ratio
• Availability of online or hybrid (mix of in-class time and online/computer time) courses
• Apprenticeship or internship, if applicable
• Extracurricular opportunities (music, athletics, etc.)

Once you find a school that may be a good fit for you, search their website, or contact the admissions department to get answers to some of the questions below:

• What are the basic admissions requirements? Do you need a certain grade point average, test score, or other credential?
• Does the school offer a part-time schedule for working adults?
• Do they offer open admissions, which means anyone with a high school diploma or high school equivalency can attend?
• Can you take one course to get used to being in a classroom with tests and homework to complete?
• Are there special resources for adult learners?
• What kinds of financial aid are available?
• Check out the school's affordability and value on the White House College Scorecard

Lean more about preparing for college from the U.S. Department of Education.