Choosing Between a Two-Year and Four-Year College: What You Need to Know

What is the best fit for you?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But there is a right choice for everyone. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons to help you make the best decision for you.

Two-Year Colleges: Flexible, Affordable, Career-Focused

Two-year colleges—also known as community, technical, and tribal colleges—offer associate degrees, short-term certificates, and pathways to transfer to four-year schools. These schools accept all students with a high school diploma or GED and often provide flexible schedules and smaller class sizes.

The Pros

• Lower Cost: Tuition at two-year colleges is often significantly lower than at four-year schools. Plus, you may be able to live at home and save on housing.
• Flexible Schedules: Evening, weekend, and online classes make balancing school schedules with work or family life easier.
• Faster Path to Work: Programs like nursing, dental hygiene, welding, and IT prepare you for in-demand jobs in two years or less.
• Transfer Opportunities: Minnesota’s Transfer Pathways makes it easy to start at a two-year school and finish at a four-year college.

The Cons

• Limited Campus Life: You might not find the same clubs, sports, or student events as at larger universities.
• Fewer Degree Options: Some fields, like engineering or architecture, may require a four-year degree from the start.
• Housing Options: Most two-year colleges don’t offer on-campus housing.

Four-Year Colleges: Broader Academics, Campus Experience, and Long-Term Potential

Four-year colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in a wide range of fields and often have larger campuses, more extracurricular options, and deeper academic resources.

The Pros

• More Career Options: A bachelor’s degree opens the door to a wider variety of careers and can lead to higher salaries over time.
• Campus Life: On-campus housing, sports, student organizations, and cultural events create a strong sense of community.
• Academic Depth: Four-year schools often have broader major options, better research opportunities, and a more experienced faculty.
• Graduate Study: If you’re thinking about grad school someday, a bachelor’s degree is a necessary step.

The Cons

• Higher Cost: Four-year degrees cost more overall, but financial aid, scholarships, and the North Star Promise program can help.
• Time Commitment: Completing a bachelor’s degree usually takes at least four years.
• Larger Class Sizes (at first): Introductory courses at large universities may be taught in large lecture halls, which can feel impersonal.

How to decide

Here are some questions to ask yourself that can make the decision between two-year and four-year programs easier.

• Do I want to start working sooner or take more time to explore?
• What’s my career goal—and what kind of degree or certificate does it require?
• Do I want a smaller college campus with more one-on-one support or a bigger university with more potential options?
• What can I afford now, and how can financial aid help?

No matter which path you choose, Minnesota has options to support your academic journey. And remember, starting at a two-year school doesn’t mean you’re locked in. Transfer Pathways allows you to move seamlessly into a four-year program later on.

Get started

Explore Minnesota’s two-year and four-year schools using the MyHigherEd College Search Tool. Compare costs, class sizes, majors, and more—all in one place.

Still not sure? That’s okay. Making a decision about college is a big step, but you don’t have to figure it all out alone. Talk to your school counselor, explore resources, and take it one step at a time. You’ve got this!