Today’s high school seniors are pushed towards four-year universities more than any post-graduation pathway. While choosing to go to university is a perfectly valid decision, community colleges are preferable for a plethora of reasons.

Generally, the cost is much lower when going to community college. Housing is usually less of a problem since you don’t have to pay to live on-campus and many colleges such as Portland Community College offer financial assistance. Classes can be thousands of dollars cheaper than at universities. For example, a credit at Portland Community College can cost as low as $123, whereas a credit at Oregon State University starts at $317.

A big plus of community colleges is the classes. Most are smaller than a typical university class, so teachers have more availability and can focus more on their students. Class credits are usually transferable, so if you want to continue your education at a university, you don’t have to start from scratch. Flexibility is also more apparent in community colleges, as many understand that students have activities outside of school.

All in all, community college is mostly a better option. Of course, the experience you receive will differ based on what college or university you attend, and community college may work better for some than it does for others. As you decide what you plan to do after high school, consider the superior option: community college.