In the world of education, two-year community/trade/technical schools are a way to get a head start on your post-secondary education without breaking the bank. Whether you want to use a two-year school as a jumping-off point to eventually transfer to a four-year school to finish a bachelor’s degree or stop at the two-year mark after learning a trade or technical skill, these schools were the choice of 6.5 million students during the 2022/2023 academic year and now make up over a quarter of all undergraduate students.
Per Credit Cost Comparison
One of the prohibiting factors that keep many from attending a four-year school is the cost. The average credit cost at a four-year public school right now is $456 per credit (for example, a three-credit class for one semester costs $1,368); at a two-year public school, the average credit cost is just $161 (that same three-credit class would cost $483). Put another way, you can get for almost the same money three – 3-credit classes at a two-year school or one 3-credit class at a four-year school. You do the math. And the average four-year cost per credit hour rises dramatically if you have to pay out-state tuition – as high as $1,177 per credit hour.
Maximizing the Post 9/11 GI Bill
For veterans planning on using their GI Bill to eventually get a graduate degree, attending a two-year school is a smart way to get the most out of your GI Bill. Due to its low tuition cost, some veterans will pay for the two years at a community college out of pocket and save 36 months of their GI Bill to pay for the higher tuition for the second two years at a four-year school and still have benefits left to pay for the even more expensive master’s degree. Most four-year schools accept community college credits on a transfer.
Or maybe you transferred two years of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to a dependent or your spouse while you were still serving and still have two years of benefits for yourself to attend a two-year school for free.
Or maybe you just want to use your GI Bill to learn a skill or trade in two years or less and get to work … without having to spend the next four years in school.
These are only some of the more popular possibilities for veterans to maximize their earned GI Bill benefits by attending a two-year community college.
Top 10 Community Colleges
Stacker.com used the data from Niche.com’s Best Community Colleges in America report to compile a list of the 100 best community colleges. From that report, here are the top ten schools in order.
1. Collins Career Technical Institute
- Type of School: Community/Trade
- Location: Chesapeake, OH
- Net Price: $$6,670
- Graduation Percentage: 100%
- Starting Salary: $29,600
2. Indian Capital Technology Center
- Type of School: Community
- Location: Muskogee, OK
- Net Price: $3,733
- Graduation Percentage: 98%
- Starting Salary: $20,100
3. Tennessee College of Applied Technology
- Type of School: Community/Trade
- Location: Murfreesboro, TN
- Net Price: $10,682
- Graduation Percentage: 100%
- Starting Salary: $28,000
4. Foothills College
- Type of School: Community
- Location: Los Altos, CA
- Net Price: $11,013
- Graduation Percentage: 57%
- Starting Salary: N/A
5. Renton Technical College
- Type of School: Community/ Some Online Degrees
- Location: Renton, WA
- Net Price: $8,163
- Graduation Percentage: 60%
- Starting Salary: $32,300
6. Lorenzo Walker Technical College
- Type of School: Community
- Location: Naples, FL
- Net Price: $12,160
- Graduation Percentage: 91%
- Starting Salary: $30,900
7. Allan Hancock College
- Type of School: Community
- Location: Santa Maria, CA
- Net Price: $6,119
- Graduation Percentage:30%
- Starting Salary: $24,000
8. Fort Myers Technical College
- Type of School: Community/ Some Online Degrees
- Location: Fort Myers, FL
- Net Price: $10,050
- Graduation Percentage: 79%
- Starting Salary: $26,900
9. Brazosport College
- Type of School: Community/ Some Online Degrees
- Location: Lake Jackson, TX
- Net Price: $4,718
- Graduation Percentage: 37%
- Starting Salary: $30,200
Pasadena City College
- Type of School: Community
- Location: Pasadena, CA
- Net Price: $4,420
- Graduation Percentage: 44%
- Starting Salary: $24,400
NOTE: School Data Courtesy of Niche.com’s 2025 Best Community Colleges in America Report
Two-year community, trade, and technical schools offer an affordable and flexible pathway for post-secondary education. In the 2022/2023 academic year, 6.5 million students—over a quarter of all undergraduates—chose these schools to either prepare for transfer to four-year institutions or to gain skills for immediate employment.
For military members thinking of getting out in the near future and don’t want to spend the next four years, using your GI Bill to learn a skill or trade in two years or less might be a good option.
