Community college can be a very wise and economical choice in higher education. Whether seeking vocational training, or taking prerequisites for entrance into a four year institution, community college is a route chosen by many.
Michigan is home to numerous community colleges. Consequently, it was not easy coming up with the top five. Nevertheless, with lots of research and consideration, five top schools were chosen. In making the selection a number of factors were considered including the school’s location, educational training/programs, technology, tuition costs, and sports/extracurricular activities.
Lansing Community College
Lansing Community College’s main campus is conveniently located in the downtown area of the capitol city of Lansing. The school offers an extremely diverse list of educational programs. Students attending LCC can choose from programs in business, media/communications, allied health/nursing, information technology and public service. Lastly, LCC offers many of the sports and extracurricular activities offered at four year institutions. Some of these activities include men/women’s basketball, track and field, softball, baseball, volleyball and dozens of student clubs and organizations. LCC has transfer agreements with several other Michigan institutions making it a good choice for students wishing to continue their educations. Currently agreements are in place with Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Northwood University, Saginaw Valley State University and Wayne State University. Students residing in the Lansing area paid $76 per credit hour in 2010-2011, and out of area students $140 per credit hour.
Muskegon Community College
Muskegon Community College (or MCC) offers a state of the art library and nearly a hundred educational and vocational training options. Students at MCC can choose from a number of career programs in the fields of allied health/nursing, industrial manufacturing technology, business and social sciences. In addition to academics, MCC has been very successful in their athletics programs. This year their women’s softball team won the 2010 NCJAA championship in their division. Other sports and extracurricular activities include golf, wrestling, men/women’s basketball, theater, choir and various campus clubs. Lastly, MCC has consortium agreements with various nearby four year institutions including Grand Valley State University, Ferris State University and Western Michigan University. In-county students attending MCC paid $77 per credit hour, and out of county students $125 per credit hour in the Fall of 2010.
Kirtland Community College
Kirtland services students throughout central/northern Michigan. This school prepares students for careers in law enforcement, surgical technology, graphic design/animation, education, heating/air conditioning and even cosmetology. Some of these programs made lead to an Associate’s Degree, while others may result in a Certificate in the chosen field of study. Kirtland provides many tools to assist their students in achieving success such as their free tutoring and counseling services. This school has also received recognition for its technology services from the Center for Digital Education. Kirtland students can participate in an array of extracurricular activities including sports (men/women’s basketball, golf and track), theater and social clubs/organizations. In the Fall of 2010, area students paid around $90-$100 per credit for classes at Kirtland.
Alpena Community College
Alpena Community College services students in Alpena and its surrounding communities. This two year college offers college track and vocational programs in a number of fields. Some of these programs include auto body repair, business, concrete technology, medical coding/billing, law enforcement, nursing and social sciences. Students wishing to attend ACC and then transfer to a four year institution may do so through the schools consortium program. Presently, Alpena Community College has transfer agreements with Ferris State University, Northwood University, Western Michigan University and the University of Detroit Mercy. ACC’s athletics includes men’s/women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and softball. During the 2010-2011 school year, local students paid $92 per credit hour, and out of area students $138 per credit hour.
Kellogg Community College
Located in Battle Creek (in southwestern Michigan); Kellogg Community College offers well over one hundred educational training programs. This includes coursework in accounting, early childhood education, dental hygiene, physical therapy assisting, paralegal/legal administrative assisting and skilled trades. In addition to a variety of educational choices, KCC offers a number of recreational and extracurricular activities such as a wellness/fitness center, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts. Additionally, KCC takes pride in their many conference winning sports teams. Currently the school competes in men and women’s basketball, softball, volleyball and baseball. In the Fall of 2010, KCC students paid $83.50 per credit hour if they lived in the area, and $131 per credit hour if they were from outside the Battle Creek area.
Resources:
Lansing Community College
Muskegon Community College
Kirtland Community College
Alpena Community College
Kellogg Community College
