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Post-secondary education> Researching colleges

Post-secondary Information > Overview

Why consider college?  After high school, you will probably enter the workforce with high- or low-skills.  Your skills will determine your earnings, and your earnings will determine your lifestyle.  Skills can be learned in college, on the job, in the military, or own your own. 

More than half of all high school graduates seek some form of education beyond high school. If they don't start immediately after high school, they often return later in life to upgrade skills or to get the credentialing necessary for many higher paying positions.

Questions before you start . . .

Here are some basic questions to get your started:

1. Where do you want to go to school?
If its on Maui, see Educational Options on Maui. If its off-island, see Educational Options Off-island.

2. Do you have a major or course of study?
Your major reflects an area of interest and potential career area. If you know your major or career path, see our Researching Colleges page for college search tips and sites. If you are unsure of a major, see our Career Exploration page for career research tips and sites or call us at 984-3286 to explore your options.

3. How will you pay for your education?
College does cost money.  Each school's financial aid office has an estimated cost of attendance sheet that lists the approximate cost of tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, personal care, and transportation.  Prices range considerably and should be researched.  See Paying for College for tips, strategies, research, and federal financial aid information.

Know your choices . . .
There are many higher education options in the United States, but two basic types of institutions: 2-year colleges or 4-year colleges and universities and public or private institutions.  Tuition at public institutions are subsidized by taxpayers and offer resident and non-resident tuition.  Hawai`i residents attending a University of Hawai`i system college pay 15% of the actual cost of instruction, the rest is paid by taxpayers. 

2-year Community, Technical, and Junior Colleges:
Many kinds of colleges offer education and training programs that are two years in length or shorter. These programs often lead to credentialing in the form of a license, certificate, or two-year degree.

Many junior and community colleges offer technical and occupational training, as well as academic courses. The Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and the Associate of Science degrees provide the freshman and sophomore years of a four-year degree. They articulate or transfer into four-year programs.

Occupational and technical certificates and Associate of Applied Science degrees are generally terminal and do not cleanly articulate into four-year programs. Some may not transfer at all.

Community Colleges are public, two-year institutions that serve nearby communities with two-year transfer degrees, assorted occupational and technical degrees and certificates, and/or non-credit continuing education courses that do not lead to a degree or certificate. Public institutions provide affordable tuition to residents and a higher tuition (up to 5 times higher) to non-residents.

Technical Schools have a special emphasis on education and training in technical fields. While some technical colleges offer academic courses and programs, not all technical colleges offer two-year programs that transfer into other two- or four-year programs. Research these carefully. Technical colleges are often private, for-profit institutions such as Heald Business College, ITT Technical Institute, and the majority of art institutes.

Junior Colleges are generally two-year, private, self-supporting Liberal Arts institutions. Some junior colleges are residential and are attended by students who come from other parts of the country

Four-Year Colleges and Universities:
The major difference between four-year colleges and universities is that four-year colleges provide four-year programs in the arts and sciences and confer bachelor's degrees, while universities offer not only bachelor's degrees, but graduate and doctorate degrees. Many universities, such as the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, also confer professional degrees (i.e. law and medicine).

When a student earns a bachelor's degree, they have passed examinations in a broad range of courses (general education) and have studied one or two subject areas (majors) in greater depth. A bachelor's degree, and for some majors, standardized examinations, are required for entry into a graduate program. A graduate degree is earned through two or more years of advanced studies beyond four years of college.

Colleges and universities may be public (partially supported by public funds) or private (self- supporting, for-profit). Once you've decided upon the type of post-secondary education you want, you can begin college searches, cost-of-attendance research, and payment options.

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Post-secondary options > Getting started at MCC
Post-secondary education> Researching colleges 

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