As open access institutions, community colleges offer multiple educational options for students leading to career or transfer. They educate more than half of the new nurses and health care workers, and almost half of all undergraduates in the United States. This article provides an overview of the community college role in postsecondary education, including its emerging role in preparing students for transfer to baccalaureate programs in public health and in readying students for careers or transfer in health navigation fields. With a diverse student population, community colleges promise opportunity for a more diverse public health workforce in the future.
American Association of Community Colleges. (2012, April). Reclaiming the American dream: A report from the 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges. Washington, DC: Author.
McClenneyK. M. (2004). Keeping America’s promise: Challenges for community colleges. In BoswellK.WilsonC. D. (Eds.), Keeping America’s promise: A report on the future of the community college (pp. 7-18). Retrieved from http://www.ecs.org/html/Document.asp?chouseid=5309
