[t-writescode]

This depends on the degree. My computer science degree had CS classes all the way from freshman year, and I think the pre-requisite graph required at least 3 years, so the standard ‘2 years of core classes for an associates and then 2 years of degree-specific courses’ wouldn’t have worked well for people like me and it would have taken me 5+ years of relatively light classes to finish college with a degree rather than 4.5 (130+ credits required for my CS degree)

[thinkmassive]

Community colleges offer CS classes. Whether they’ll be accepted as specific prerequisites at a specific 4-year institution would require further research, but it’s definitely not a reason to completely dismiss community college. You can also go to community college for one year, then transfer to a university. There’s no requirement to get a degree before transferring.

Source: I did one year of community college before transferring into the computer & electrical engineering program at a university.

[dragonwriter]

> My computer science degree had CS classes all the way from freshman year, and I think the pre-requisite graph required at least 3 years, so the standard ‘2 years of core classes for an associates and then 2 years of degree-specific courses’ wouldn’t have worked well for people like me

Community colleges often have CS programs, they don't just offer GE.

They may not have equivalents for all of the courses in a particular universities lower-division major curriculum in a particular major, which can be an issue.

[protomyth]

Some states, like North Dakota, have common course numbering to make sure the credits can transfer from the community colleges to the universities. If the local community college doesn't offer the specific class, you can often get a distance learning option through the community college.