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Community College of Denver
Being the cheapest of the three Auraria campus options, the Community College of Denver (CCD) provides its students with several routes to complete a post-secondary degree. Due to rising tuition costs, especially amongst out-of-state student populations, many students utilize CCD’s credit transfer programs to continue their education at one of the neighboring institutions. With over 125 programs of study available, CCD is Denver’s best economic option for higher education.
The Community College of Denver varies from other community colleges in the metro area mainly through its relationships with both the Metropolitan State College of Denver and the University of Colorado Denver. Sharing the Auraria campus with these institutions allows their students to easily transition to either of the four-year institutional models. CCD also has several unique partnerships with local high schools to encourage higher graduation and college attendance rates. Because transferring to a larger institution is not an option for some of these students, completing a program at CCD will provide a degree at the Associates level, and serve as a good starting point for future academic endeavors.
The cost of attendance at CCD is estimated around $1,300 per semester for an in-state, full-time student (12 credit hours). That does not include any sort of housing options, however several student housing facilities are available near the Auraria campus. This low cost can certainly make the first few years of college in Denver seem more affordable than many neighboring schools. Many students and parents alike have utilized CCD as a cheap way of getting the required general education classes out of the way before transferring to one of the neighboring four-year institutions.
Student life on the Auraria campus has made a significant turn around in the past few years. With the addition of student housing in the area, the campus is making a steady shift away from its traditional commuter-campus image. With more events being held on campus, as well as an upsurge in student run organizations, student life on the Auraria campus will soon rival other higher education institutions in the Denver area. For the time being however, most students are still commuting from outside the city limits, making the campus a pretty desolate place after classes end. Although within the next five years, the Auraria campus will be a burgeoning hotspot for local business owners and college students alike...something to keep in mind for prospective students!
Comments
It's important to note that ALL of Colorado's community colleges offer the same affordable tuition and ease of transfer to Colorado's 4-year colleges and universities. Transfer to Metro, UCD, UNC, CSU, and all other 4-year institutions is identical regardless of the community college from which students intend to transfer.
The overall transfer processes between a community college and a four year institution is relatively the same. The Community College of Denver varies in the sense that they share a campus with two such schools. Certain courses geared toward MSCD or UCD students CAN be taken by CCD students for CCD credit. This exposure to different class characteristics like classroom size, doctoral teaching staff, and academic rigor, can all help towards making a future transfer manageable.
Thanks for your input Donna!
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