Study Oregon members include both 2-year community colleges and 4-year colleges and universities. Many people ask us about the differences among these schools.

Oregon Community Colleges

• are 2-year public institutions. Public institutions are partially funded by state collection of taxes.
• have English as a second language (ESL) programs.
• offer Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degrees.
• offer the Oregon Transfer (AAOT) degree, which is the equivalent of the first two years of university education. With this degree, students can enter an Oregon public university and complete a Bachelor's degree in two years.
• offer a variety of professional, technical, and vocational certificates.
• are a less expensive alternative to 4-year schools.
• offer small class size.
• have qualified and accessible faculty.
• may or may not offer on-campus housing.

4-year Colleges and Universities

• are classified as public or private institutions.
• offer Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees, which usually take 4 to 5 years to complete.
• may offer Master's, Ph.D., post graduate and professional degrees.
• typically offer on-campus housing options and developed student life programs, sports teams and recreation programs.
• offer major programs including liberal arts, sciences, social sciences, agriculture, law, medicine, etc.
• often have English as a second language programs and conditional admission programs through ESL.