Community Colleges offering affordable & accessible education in India
Know why to join a community college in India
A community college is an institution under India’s higher education system that aims at providing job-oriented education to students from local communities. It is a system that provides education above secondary level and below degree level with different skill-oriented as well as traditional courses. The duration of the courses typically range from six months to two years.
The college offers admission to these courses at an affordable cost without compromising the quality of education imparted. This gives opportunities to students/ learners to move directly to the employment sector or higher education level.
The concept of community college has basically originated from the USA where such institutions have been in existence for about 100 years. And from there gradually, community colleges gained prominence and were set up in different countries across the globe including India.
Currently, there are more than 150 community colleges in India that are recognised by University Grants Commission (UGC). The complete list of UGC approved community colleges in India is given at the end of the article.
Why Join a Community College
• Provides accessible and affordable education in the form of skill-based and traditional courses offered to a large number of students of the community.
• Offers courses to students in multiple formats including face-to-face, online, full-time, and part-time.
• Provides better options for students who desire career-oriented qualification and may not require a three-year degree course.
• Involves participation of the local industry to provide flexible and relevant training programmes to students leading to better employment opportunities.
• Works in coordination with local industry/ business organisations to frame and revise the curriculum.
• Offers courses in accordance with the local requirements of the community/area.
• Offers courses to students that caters to the workforce needs of new and emerging sectors such as Green Technologies, E-Governance, and E-Services.
• Trains and upgrades skills of not only job seekers but also existing employees working in different organisations.
• Allows dual enrollment, thereby, enabling high school students to take up courses in community colleges to reduce the duration and costs that get into obtaining an associate degree and later full degree.
Community College Eligibility Criteria for Admissions
All candidates who have passed Class XII are eligible to secure admission at community colleges in a course of their choice.
Age criteria: There is no age restriction to secure admission at community colleges.
Courses Offered at Community Colleges in India
Aimed at offering “courses that are a mix of knowledge and skill components” (as per MHRD report, Concept and Framework of the Community College Scheme), community colleges offer programmes mainly at three levels:
• Certificate
• Diploma
• Advance Diploma/ Associate Degree
The courses are offered in streams such as Information Technology, Fashion Design, Beauty & Wellness, Science, Hotel Management, Tourism, Civil Construction, Healthcare, Nursing, Retail Management, Farm Management, Mobile Communication, Automobile Management, Banking & Financial Services, Jewellery Design, etc.
Given below is the state-wise list of universities that provide affiliation to more than 150 community colleges in India:
| State |
University |
| Andhra Pradesh |
Adikavi Nannaya University, Rajahmundry |
| Assam |
|
| Chhattisgarh |
|
| Gujarat |
|
| Haryana |
|
| Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak |
|
| Himachal Pradesh |
H.P. University, Shimla |
| Jharkhand |
Kolhan University |
|
Karnataka |
Rani Chennamma University |
|
Kerala |
|
| Madhya Pradesh |
|
| Devi Ahilya University, Indore |
|
|
Maharashtra |
|
| Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati |
|
| Shivaji University, Kolhapur |
|
| Manipur |
|
| Nagaland |
|
| Punjab |
|
| Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar |
|
|
Tamil Nadu |
|
|
Uttar Pradesh |
|
| West Bengal |
|
Click the link to see the complete list of UGC approved community colleges in India and courses offered by them.
