Deciding on which college to attend can be quite an ordeal. Making the right choice for you will depend upon several factors like your personality, lifestyle, finances, living situation, and course of study. Looking at the types of colleges and what they entail can help make your decision easier. The main types of colleges in Texas to consider are:
- Community College
- University
- Online College
What will suit you best will depend on your specific circumstances.
Education Beyond High School
As a high school graduate, are you asking yourself, “Should I further my education?” The answer is, “Absolutely.”
Why are you going to attend college? Are your friends going and you think you should go with them? Do your parents and family expect you to go? Do you think college will help you plan better for your future? Do you want to make more money and become more successful in life?
Knowing the answers to these questions can help give you a good, solid base on deciding whether to attend a community college, public or private college, a university or an online university. However, most people are more inclined to attend a college or a university with an on-campus lifestyle.
Why should you choose to educate yourself beyond high school?
7 outstanding reasons to go to college
- You have the potential to earn more money.
- You increase your job qualifications.
- You may have great job security.
- The more money you earn, the higher your standard of living.
- You’ll have access to jobs that are in your field of education.
- You will find larger socialization and professional networks at college.
- You can be an educated influence on future generations.
A fact since 1971, 86% of college freshman say the number one reason why they attend a college or university is to have a better paying job. 72% say that they attend college or university to make more money. While only 42% say that it makes them feel more like a cultured person.
There are people who choose to not gain an education beyond high school.
6 reasons why you don’t:
- You believe that you can’t afford it.
- Nobody from your family has attended a college or university.
- You have no idea what you want to do for the rest of your life.
- You believe that college is excessively hard.
- You don’t have the time.
- You believe you will not fit in.
What you may fail to realize is that these reasons can be overcome with simple solutions. College may be expensive but with grants it can be very affordable. Be the first person in your family to attend college, break the loop.
Take a personality test, review the results and choose between your top three choices. College may be excessively hard for some people, but that is why they have academic advisers, resident advisers, tutors and study groups.
If you can make the time to go out to dinner, shopping with friends, or watch TV all evening, then you can make the time to study. Choose the type of college that works best for you, not everyone fits in in every situation.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area is considered a metropolitan area. Dallas is the 3rd largest city in Texas and falling into 9th place nationally. This metropolitan area has a population of nearly 6.5 million people. It is the education hubbub of the south-central United States.
Your choice of colleges and universities here are vast. In Forth Worth alone, there are over 250,000 college students in attendance.
Most colleges require an admission fee ranging from $30-$80. These fees are paid when you apply to the college. If you intend to apply to several universities then you are going to run into an expensive cost. Choose your top three choices and apply in that order; wait for a response before you apply to the next one.
How to Choose
Think about your career goals. Do you need something in a short matter of time? Consider a community college or a career ready college. You always have the option of attending a larger four-year university upon completion.
Academics
Review your academic record. Where you can expect to be accepted will be determined by your high school GPA and college prep test scores. Community colleges and career ready colleges have open admissions where colleges and universities have requirements.
Learning Style
Reflect upon your learning style. Your overall experience along with campus and class sizes. If the thought of a lecture room filled with hundreds of students scares you, then a university may not be a good choice for you. Go for a community college or a small 4-year college.
Overall college expectations. This is where you need to think about college life and your lifestyle. At small colleges, it will be harder to experience extracurricular activities and events. So, if you are wanting all the busyness and socialization aspects then a four-year college or a university would suit you better.
Financial Needs
Rummaging through your budget and finances is a daunting task. Regardless of who’s paying for college, fill out the FASFA form. According to you or your family’s income, federal and state grants and loans are awarded on a need-basis.
Grants could be a lifesaver making your budgeting task easier because you don’t have to pay these back unless you drop out of college. Students loans will need to be paid back but only after you’ve graduated.
If student loan debt scares you and your finances, then you should consider a less expensive college or university. Go for a community college or a small public college. Here is an article on how to manage your student finances.
Fraternities and Sororities
Are you wanting to join a fraternity or a sorority? If so then you will want to look closer at four-year colleges and universities.
Do you want your college living experience to be on-campus or off-campus? Most small community colleges do not offer on-campus living. However, Dallas County Community College does offer dorm living. Public, private, four-year colleges and universities all offer on-campus living.
Working On-Campus or Off-Campus
Do you plan to work? Do you already have a job? This could factor in considering how many hours you will need to work. Most on-campus jobs are part-time. So, if you are needing to work full-time then you are going to want to consider your school schedule. Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Irving, TX offers day, evening and weekend classes. Most universities offer mostly weekday classes.
Community College
Do you have to go to a large college or university? Absolutely not! There are fantastic community colleges also known as trade schools located within your community. Should you choose to go this route, there is absolutely nothing wrong with attending a local community college.
As a matter of fact, you can be self-employed, make a lot of money by educating yourself with a trade and be done within a year or two. You can earn trades such as aviation, health care, and vehicle mechanics.
Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Irving, TX offers avionics technician, aviation maintenance technician, combination welding, and HVAC technology. They only offer these trades. They are accredited and offer financial aid.
Remington College in Dallas, TX offers more of a variety. They offer diplomas like medical assisting, cosmetology, dental assisting, pharmacy technician, medical billing and coding, radiologic technology, HVAC, electronic technology, and massage therapy. They also offer associates degrees and bachelor’s degrees.
With financial aid assistance for those who qualify, scholarship opportunities, grants and loans, plus military options. Additionally, this may be a great fit for a student wanting a smaller college venue. They even offer online options.
College of Health Care Professions in Dallas, TX offers medical certificate and degree programs like dental assistant, diagnostic medical sonography, limited medical radiologic technologist, massage therapy, medical billing and coding, and a physical therapy technician program.
College or University
The term ‘college student’ seems to be a universal term and for the most part it is. However, there are differences between a college and a university. Before making this decision, ask yourself these questions. Do you want a smaller campus and class size? How much financial help are you going to have or need, or are you going to pay for it yourself? Are you going to want to continue your education with post graduate classes?
Colleges have a smaller and less populated campus. Whereas, universities are the opposite and have a larger and more populated campus. Since universities have a larger campus, they offer more classes, events, programs, etc.
Colleges offer a two-year or a four-year term; universities offer a four-year term. Colleges focus more towards undergraduate studies like an associate degree; universities extend their focus towards graduate and post graduate studies like a master’s degree.
Public colleges cost less than private colleges and universities. Private colleges and universities tend to have higher tuition and other fees attached to your tuition cost. However, I wouldn’t let cost be a final decision maker until you have more knowledge.
Public or Private University
Public universities tend to be more populated, have a larger campus, lower cost tuition, and offer a wider variety of major degrees and programs. Private universities tend to be less populated, have a smaller campus, higher cost tuition and offer minimal degrees and programs. These seem to be the only major differences between the two.
Public universities are funded by state governments such as:
| Public University | Location | Enrollment | Yearly Tuition |
| Uni of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX | 39,714 | $24,660 |
| Uni of Texas at Dallas | Dallas, TX | 26, 793 | $29,656 |
| Uni of North Texas | Denton, TX | 37,979 | $18,063 |
| Texas Women’s Uni | Denton, TX | 15, 472 | $15,819 |
| Texas A&M Uni | Commerce, TX | 12,385 | $11,725 |
Private universities are funded by individuals such as:
| Private University | Location | Enrollment | Yearly Tuition |
| Southern Methodist Uni | University Park, TX | 11,643 | $48,364 |
| Texas Christian Uni | Fort Worth, TX | 10,394 | $46,860 |
| Dallas Baptist Uni | Dallas, TX | 5,445 | $27,870 |
| Texas Wesleyan Uni | Fort Worth, TX | 3,378 | $26,328 |
| Uni of Dallas | Irving, TX | 2,387 | $13,034 |
Online Colleges
Online colleges can be located anywhere. You don’t have to be in a central location. These are the top, affordable online colleges for 2020; Ashford Uni., Southern New Hampshire Uni, and Strayer Uni. However, if you are wanting to still associate yourself with a local college these universities offer online degree options: Texas A & M, Uni of Texas at Dallas, and Texas Women’s Uni.
The Uni of North Texas offers themselves as one of the largest providers of online credit courses in the state of Texas.
Texas Women’s Uni offers a minimal list of online courses. In the past, they have predominantly been advocates for women. However, they have recently opened their doors to educate men.
Online colleges do not take into account for their tuition cost of whether a student is in-state or out-of-state. Their cost is based on a net price and from there they add on their own fees, etc.
Balance
Should you decide to choose an online college, here are a few things to think about. Balancing your college, work and social lifestyle. A lot of college students choose to study in the quietness of their own home. For example, they may work during the daytime, so they choose to study in the evening time. This works well especially when you must work full time.
Not Tied Down
If you are a student that can afford to travel, then an online university would fit your lifestyle better. You can study anytime and anywhere. On the other hand, this is also a perk when you don’t have adequate transportation.
Attending an online college ensures that you can self-pace yourself. Most online courses have minimal contact with professors due to the fact that they have a syllabus that students follow and turn in their work accordingly.
Accelerate your studies
Most online colleges have what they call block classes. These block classes are taught in a six-week to eight-week block. Therefore, allowing college students to speed through their courses.
Lower Cost
Online universities don’t require most fees that are associated with on-campus or even off-campus living like parking permits or dorm living.
Explosive Growth
Online colleges are having to expand their line of course study. They now offer more accredited classes meaning that your online education is just as valuable as attending a brick and mortar university.
Reach Out
Reaching out to college students that you know is a great way to get some honest, valuable feedback. Talk to them about why they chose the college that they did. Here are some questions to keep in mind:
- What is it about this college/uni that you like?
- Is there something that makes this college/uni unique?
- Is there anything you’d change about this college/uni?
- What opportunities do they offer?
- As a first-year student, what is it like to be a student at your college/uni?
- What does your typical day look like with classes, working and socializing?
- What are the fellow students like here; friendly, serious, etc.?
- Were you assigned a mentor or adviser?
- Were the classes that you needed available?
- Do you use on-campus study groups or tutoring programs?
Visit
Plan a visit the campus of your choice! Taking an on-campus tour instead of an online virtual tour will give you a better sense of what the atmosphere and culture is like. Visiting the campuses that you are considering is extremely important because you can ask all the questions that you have and receive answers.
You can make sure you have all the important paperwork that you will need to complete your enrollment. You can also check out first-hand their facilities and what all they have to offer as far as events and extracurricular activities. After all this is a place where you will possibly live and definitely learn.
Ask questions like:
- What are the more popular majors?
- Are professors available outside of class?
- How are first-year students assigned advisors?
- What type of internships and work-study are available?
- Can you change your major if you decide to take a different course of study?
When deciding on where you’d like to further your education beyond high school, keep in mind what one college student did.
This student transferred from Collin College in Plano, TX to the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. After watching many of his older friends leave college with immense debt and forced to pursue a job simply because they had financial obligations, he wanted to ensure that in his future he could pursue his passion and not just a job.
UNT offered that freedom. His student loan payments will be comparable to a small car payment and he is about to receive his MBA.
Considering his extended future, he believes that if he’d attended most other colleges, he would not be able to pursue his passion upon graduation; he would be tied down to student loan obligations.
So everyone has their own path to walk and it is up to you as to what that is exactly. You do you!