In Canada and the United States, a community college, sometimes called a junior college, is an educational institution providing post-secondary education and lower-level tertiary education, granting certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees. The name derives from the fact that community colleges primarily accept, and attract, students from the local community.

Community colleges have "open admission"; that is, anyone may be admitted. They are supported with public funds, and their tuition costs substantially less than that of a traditional four-year public or private college or university. For these reasons, low-income students and students not yet academically prepared for a university curriculum are attracted to community colleges. Community college students can range in age from teenagers who just graduated high school to working adults taking classes at night to complete a degree.

A typical program at a community college involves two years' study leading to an Associate's degree or diploma. Upon successful completion, students may transfer to a four-year college or university to obtain a bachelor's degree. Certificates commonly cover a wide variety of vocational training in technical or otherwise specialized fields. A certificate generally takes less than two years to complete, and students who earn a certificate usually enter straight into the workforce.

Community colleges also offer a number of services to other members of the community, such as job placement, adult continuing-education classes, and developmental classes for children.

List of Community Colleges

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