[mcb3k]

I will not comment about finances, but the idea behind starting at a community college isn't that an associates degree will prepare you for something like the CPA exam, but that it will help you satisfy degree requirements for a bachelors degree without spending as much money as doing all four years at a public four-year institution.

The tuition for a community college, per year, is about 1/3rd [1] the cost of a year at a public in-state 4-year college. If you live at home, you possibly save another couple grand a year. Factor in that some states have Guaranteed Admission Agreements [2], it can make community college an attractive option.

[1]: http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-table... [2]: http://www.nvcc.edu/current-students/transfer/Search/GAAAdmi...