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Choosing between community college and university is one of the biggest decisions a student makes. It affects both your wallet and your degree. And it comes down to more than sticker price. Want the basic definitions first? Our guide on the difference between college and community college covers that ground. This post goes further. It compares real costs, time to degree, transfer rules, and career outcomes. The goal is simple: find the path that fits your goals, not just the one that sounds bigger.

Lackawanna College is a private, nonprofit college based in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with campus locations across the state. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Its non-specialty programs use open admissions, so there is no selective-admissions barrier on the way in. Students complete the ACCUPLACER placement assessment unless they submit SAT or ACT scores or acceptable transfer credits. Health sciences, hospitality, and Center for Technology Innovation programs carry extra admission requirements. Lackawanna grants both associate and bachelor’s degrees, including a built-in path from an associate program straight into a four-year degree at the same school.

Community College vs. University: The Core Differences

Community college and university differ on four things that matter most: cost, length, admissions, and scope. Community colleges are public, two-year schools. They are built to keep tuition low and accept nearly every applicant. Universities are four-year (or longer) schools. They offer wider degree catalogs, research programs, and residential campus life, usually at a higher price.

Lackawanna College is structured differently. It uses open admissions for its non-specialty programs on the front end, and grants bachelor’s degrees on the back end. Its associate programs build directly into the twelve bachelor’s degrees offered at the Scranton campus:

• Business
• Criminal Justice
• Healthcare Administration
• Human Resources Management
• Human Services
• Information Technology – Cybersecurity
• Paralegal Studies
• Professional Studies – Nonprofit Leadership
• Professional Studies – Strategic Communications
• Professional Studies – Writing
• Restaurant and Foodservice Management
• Technology Management

In total, Lackawanna offers 80+ programs at its campus locations.

Community College vs. University Cost: Tuition by School Type

Cost is usually the deciding factor. The national averages are wide apart. The National Center for Education Statistics tracks published tuition and fees for the 2022-23 academic year. Public two-year colleges averaged about $4,000 a year. Public four-year universities averaged about $9,800 in-state. Private nonprofit four-year universities averaged about $40,700. Those are national averages, not a quote for any specific school. Financial aid changes the real number for most students.

Lackawanna College’s own published tuition and fees come in well under the private-university average above. Nearly 95% of Lackawanna’s student body receives some form of financial aid. That is a college-wide figure that includes scholarships, grants, and loans. To see your real cost, ask the Office of Student Financial Services for a personalized financial aid estimate.

Key Takeaway: Compare a public two-year school with a private four-year university. The published gap can run tens of thousands of dollars a year. But sticker price alone doesn’t tell you the real cost. Aid-adjusted cost does. Ask every school on your list for a real financial aid estimate before you rule it out.

Time to Degree: Two Years, Four Years, or Something Faster

An associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study. A bachelor’s degree at a traditional university usually takes about four years. Moving between two separate schools to get from one to the other often adds time. Not every credit transfers cleanly. The next section covers that problem in detail.

Lackawanna College’s associate and bachelor’s programs sit inside the same school. So a student can move from an associate program into a matching bachelor’s degree. There is no need to apply to a new school. There is no wait for an outside transfer-credit review. Some programs are built for speed on top of that. The Bachelor of Science in Business is an online program designed for working adults. Students who take summer and intersession terms can finish it in as little as three years.

Transfer Credits: How Credits Move Between Schools

Plenty of students start at one school planning to transfer to another. That plan only works if the receiving school accepts the credits. Most four-year schools set a minimum grade for transfer credit. Most also set a limit on how old that credit can be. Lackawanna College’s policy is detailed in our college transfer credits guide. A course needs a C-minus or better to transfer. If your coursework is more than 20 years old, the registrar decides whether it counts.

Some students start in an associate program at Lackawanna and want to go on to a bachelor’s degree. That could be at Lackawanna or another university. They can work with the four-year degree transfer program through the Student Success Center. The program reviews coursework and helps map the credits that already apply.

Key Takeaway: Ask any school how it reviews transfer credit: minimum grade, age limits, and accreditation match. Ask before you enroll anywhere, not after you’ve already paid for a semester that doesn’t transfer.

Outcomes: Earnings and Employment by Credential

Earnings and employment odds both improve with each level of education. Bureau of Labor Statistics data on earnings and unemployment by educational attainment shows median weekly earnings rising at every step up in credential. That holds from a high school diploma to an associate degree, and again from an associate degree to a bachelor’s. Unemployment moves the other way and falls as education rises. How big the jump is depends on the field, which is why the credential alone is only half the picture.

That pay gap grows the longer someone works. Want a closer look at how the math works for an associate degree? See Is an Associate Degree Worth It?. It covers fields where an associate credential competes well against a bachelor’s.

Key Takeaway: An associate degree already out-earns a high-school-only paycheck. A bachelor’s degree widens that gap further. For most students, the real question is which path gets them to a degree without wasting time or money along the way.

Who Each Path Fits Best

No single path is right for everyone, but one of them will fit you best.

• Community college fits students who want the lowest possible cost for the first two years. They are comfortable managing a transfer to a separate four-year school. They don’t need a fast, structured path into a bachelor’s degree.
• A traditional university fits students who want a four-year residential experience and a broad research-university catalog. They can cover (or get aid for) a higher sticker price from day one.
• Lackawanna College fits students who want an open-admissions entry point into a non-specialty program. They want a lower cost than a traditional private university. They also want a direct route from an associate program into a bachelor’s degree without changing schools. For example, a student can start in Lackawanna’s Business associate program. That student can continue straight into the Bachelor of Science in Business at the same school.

Every path listed here gets a student to a real degree. What changes is cost, timeline, and how much of the process you want to manage yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lackawanna College a community college?

No. Lackawanna College is a private, nonprofit college, not a public community college. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Its non-specialty programs use open admissions, which means students who might not qualify at a selective university can still enroll. Students complete the ACCUPLACER placement assessment unless they submit SAT or ACT scores or acceptable transfer credits. Health sciences, hospitality, and Center for Technology Innovation programs carry extra admission requirements. Lackawanna also grants both associate and bachelor’s degrees. That includes twelve bachelor’s programs at its Scranton campus. Students can complete a full four-year credential at the same school.

What’s the biggest cost difference between community college and a university?

Tuition is the biggest gap. Public two-year colleges averaged roughly $4,000 a year in tuition and fees nationally for 2022-23. Private nonprofit four-year universities averaged around $40,700. Both figures come from the National Center for Education Statistics. Public four-year universities fell in between, averaging about $9,800 a year in-state. Financial aid changes the real number for most students. Compare aid-adjusted cost, not sticker price, before ruling any school out.

Can community college credits transfer to a four-year university?

Usually, yes, but not automatically. Most four-year schools only accept credits earned at C-minus or better. Some also set a time limit on how old those credits can be. Lackawanna College’s policy, for example, requires a C-minus grade or higher. If the credit is more than 20 years old, the registrar decides whether it counts. Always confirm a receiving school’s transfer policy before you enroll anywhere, not after.

Is an associate degree worth it if I eventually want a bachelor’s degree?

Yes, for most students. An associate degree already out-earns a high school diploma alone. Starting there lowers the cost of the first two years. At a school with a built-in bachelor’s pathway, it doesn’t have to slow down the overall timeline. See our full breakdown in Is an Associate Degree Worth It? for the fields where this holds up best.

How long does it take to go from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree?

A full-time associate degree usually takes about two years. A full-time bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years total, roughly two more after the associate. At Lackawanna College, students can move from an associate program into a matching bachelor’s degree at the same school. They skip the credit-review delays that come with transferring to a new school. Some programs, like the online Bachelor of Science in Business, can be finished in as little as three years. That timeline applies to students who take summer and intersession terms.

What’s the difference between an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree?

An associate degree is a two-year credential. It qualifies graduates for entry-level roles in many fields. It can also serve as the first half of a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree is a four-year credential with broader coursework and usually higher earning potential. Lackawanna College offers both. Its associate programs are built to transfer directly into its own bachelor’s degrees.

How do I know if community college, a university, or a private college like Lackawanna is right for me?

Start with three questions. What can you afford in the first two years? Do you already know your intended major, or do you need time to explore it? And do you want to finish your bachelor’s degree at the same school you start at, or are you comfortable transferring? If cost matters most, if you want an open-admissions program, or if you would rather not switch schools halfway through, compare your options against a private college like Lackawanna. Compare it against your local community college and nearby universities.

Taking the Next Step

Community college, a university, and a private college like Lackawanna each get students to a real degree. The right one depends on what you can afford now and how fast you want to move. It also depends on whether you’d rather finish your bachelor’s degree at the same school you start at.

Want to see how Lackawanna College’s associate-to-bachelor’s path could work for you? Request information from an admissions counselor, schedule a campus visit, or start your application directly through the Lackawanna College application portal. You can also browse more admissions and program guides in our News & Media section.

Educational Disclaimer

Cost figures for public two-year, public four-year, and private nonprofit four-year schools are national averages for the 2022-23 academic year from the National Center for Education Statistics. They do not represent a quote for any specific school. Earnings and unemployment comparisons by education level are described in general terms from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data on educational attainment; no wage figures are cited. Actual earnings vary by occupation, location, and experience. The Lackawanna College financial aid figure is current as of this writing and subject to change. Contact the Office of Student Financial Services for a personalized estimate. Transfer credit evaluation is subject to review by the Registrar’s Office and varies by course and program.