There are several college options available to you. The most widely known are the 4-year public and private colleges and universities. These institutions award bachelors, masters and professional degrees (PhD, MD, etc.). The third option is 2-year colleges, which include the community and junior colleges that award associate degrees. Next, there are the career colleges, for-profit schools that award certificates and associate degrees in career subjects. Finally, there are the open universities, schools that allow anyone to enroll and earn certificates and degrees, and online and distance learning universities (which also award certificates).

Research your college options.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) – A complete list of historically Black colleges and universities.

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) – Complete list of 215 Hispanic-serving institutions.

Native American Colleges and Universities – A list of Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU)

Community Colleges – Search for community colleges by location

Career Colleges – Search career colleges

Accredited Career Schools and Colleges of Technology

More Career Colleges

Online Degrees/Distance Learning – Search online degree and certificates programs

Open Universities/Distance Learning – Colleges with few admissions requirements; you take courses online and via mail; awards certificates and bachelors degrees

The Open University – UK-based university, the largest awarder of degrees in the world; awards certificates, founders degrees and bachelors degrees.

OFFLINE RESOURCES

Guidance Counselors or Career Services Office staff – Use every free resource available to you. These folks have been doing this a long time; they have college and community contacts that you may not access unless you ask.

Books – There are shelf-loads of books out there on choosing the right college, securing financial aid and everything else you might what to know before you apply. The best one, especially for those you who may require a little extra help to get into college is, of course, Everybody Else’s Guide to Getting Into College.

But there are plenty of other great books. Check out a few below.