Start at Your SUNY Community College This Fall

SUNY has 30 community colleges across New York State, all offering accredited courses and degree programs to prepare you for a career, a promotion, or an advanced degree — at a fraction the cost of other college options.

Benefits of Going to Community College

SUNY Community College students save thousands on college, with supportive faculty and career-focused programs. In addition to on-campus programs, SUNY Community Colleges offer 2-year associate degrees online, 1-year certificates online, microcredentials, and evening and weekend classes to fit your busy life.

OF ASSOCIATE DEGREE GRADUATES HAVE ZERO FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN DEBT

1/2 THE AVERAGE COST OF COLLEGE In THE U.S.

AVERAGE CLASS SIZE AT SUNY COMMUNITY COLLEGES

COMMUNITY COLLEGES
ACROSS NEW YORK

GUARANTEED ADMISSION
TO A 4-YEAR SUNY SCHOOL AFTER COMPLETING AA or AS DEGREE

DIRECT
CAREER PLACEMENT

Financial Aid Available for Part-Time Study

Thanks to a recent investment by New York State, part-time students (taking at least 6 credit hours per semester) are now eligible for New York State's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) without a prior history of full-time study. TAP awards grants of up to $5,665 annually and, in addition to applying for federal student aid, is one of the first financial aid options New York State students should consider.

How do you get it? Apply for NYS TAP through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Hear from Our Community College Grads

"I knew I needed to go back to school, carve out my own career path, and figure out what I wanted to do."

When Chalea Jones crossed the stage at Onondaga Community College, she had already landed the new job she was pursuing.

"If I had started with college at RIT, I don’t think I would have survived."

Ryan Vogt built a foundation at Finger Lakes Community College that launched him to a Ph.D. and a career in research at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Start your SUNY journey today:

Community College FAQs

Community colleges offer microcredentials, undergraduate certificates, and 2-year associate degrees.

The types of associate degrees are AAS, AOS, AA, and AS degrees.

AAS is an Associate of Applied Science degree – a vocational or career degree
AOS is an Associate of Occupational Science – a vocational or career degree
AA is an Associate of Arts – a degree that transfers to a 4-year college
AS is an Associate of Science – a degree that transfers to a 4-year college

Yes, you can learn a trade at SUNY. Community colleges offer AAS and AOS degrees that are vocational training programs. Trade and vocational programs give students hands-on training and experience in a specific field without requiring liberal arts and other general education courses to graduate. These degrees are designed to enter the workforce not for transfer to a 4-year college.

The Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC is a community college that offers a 4-year bachelor’s degree.

On average,

a microcredential program is less than 1 year;
an undergraduate certificate takes 1 year of full-time study; and
An associate degree takes at least 2 years with full-time study.

Typical AA and AS associate degrees are equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree program.

Depending on the type of degree or certificate you earn, you can enter the workforce, learn new skills through badging, or transfer to a 4-year college.