Complete a Bachelor's Degree Online After Community College

For Nathan Legleiter, a Kansas resident who works as a compliance analyst at a bank, community college was just the first step of a post-secondary education.

Legleiter went straight into the workforce after high school. He didn't decide until years later to pursue his associate degree primarily online at Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kansas. During his first semester, Legleiter learned about a "2+2" option, or online bachelor's completion program, that would enable him to seamlessly transfer credits to the Kansas State University Global Campus, the school's online arm for adult learners.

Attending Barton Community College not only allowed the 2015 graduate to save some money on tuition, he says, but also provided him with face-to-face student support nearby and the flexibility of online learning alongside his job and family responsibilities.

[Discover how to transfer online associate credits to a four-year online program.]

Legleiter isn't alone, as online bachelor's completion programs grow in popularity, experts say. Four-year institutions typically partner with community colleges -- either on-campus or online -- to align their curriculums and closely advise students who plan to transfer.

The goal, experts say, is for students to move on to their bachelor's without having to retake certain courses or worrying about credits being accepted, often at a lower total cost than in full bachelor's programs. Whether students need to separately apply to the four-year institution varies depending on the program, experts say, and students might take longer than four years total to finish.

"2+2 and bachelor's completion programs have existed for many years. The online versions of this have grown a little more recently," says Greg Fant, associate vice president and deputy provost for New Mexico State University, which has several 2+2 online programs.

These programs can appeal to all types of online students -- whether they're right out of high school or working adults returning to college, says Duane Dunn, an associate dean and director of academic and professional programs at Kansas State's Global Campus, which offers numerous 2+2 options. In any case, students don't need to relocate.

"It's a communication advising tool, a curriculum guide," says Dunn. "And what we've seen are the students who utilize the 2+2 have fewer concerns and questions and anxiety things as they transfer."

Starting at a community college also provides students -- especially adults returning to school -- with extra support to begin an online program, which typically requires greater self-motivation and independence than on-campus courses, says Dale Whittaker, provost and executive vice president at the University of Central Florida.

[Learn why to develop self-motivation skills before starting online courses.]

"To start at a 2+2 -- it's just a smaller classroom, it's a slower pace than going straight into the university life," says Catherine Kuykendall, a 2+2 student at UCF pursuing her bachelor's in psychology, who returned to college after about 20 years out of school.

Students in these programs can also earn an associate degree for immediate career advancement and then pursue the bachelor's online as they continue working, says Julie Uranis, director of distance and innovative learning at Western Kentucky University, which has 2+2 programs in disciplines ranging from information technology to health sciences.

Some students decide to pursue a 2+2 online bachelor's program as soon as they enter community college, while others won't determine that until later on, she says.

"Students are savvy consumers, and they're seeing a 2+2 kind of opportunity as a means of scaffolding their credentials in ways that make sense for them," Uranis says. "They're customizing their education."

But prospective online students should also consider the challenges they might face with these programs, experts say. Uranis says this can include the need to adjust to online learning at a university, possibly with larger classes, for instance.

Those who know they want to ultimately earn a bachelor's can usually research their options on a university's website, experts say. But students who aren't sure whether this is the path for them can reach out to an academic adviser to learn more.

[Ask five questions before pursuing an online associate degree.]

In the University of Central Florida's 2+2 programs, says Whittaker, community colleges sometimes identify students who might be interested in continuing their education beyond an associate degree, and UCF then reaches out to them to help plan their transition to the online bachelor's portion.

Prospective online students should also compare tuition costs, which might be lower through a 2+2 program than a four-year university, says Brian Craig, professor and chair man of the industrial engineering department at Lamar University, which has an online bachelor's completion program in the discipline.

"It's not a secret that the cost of higher education has gone up," he says. "It's certainly more and more important to make sure that the program you're pursuing is going to provide a reasonable return on investment."

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Jordan Friedman is an online education editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at jfriedman@usnews.com.