☆ Can local community colleges compete with online alternatives?

Experienced researcher of CA community colleges Christopher Jepsen breaks down Calbright: the emergent virtual-only CC institution making waves across the Golden State. Jepsen argues that despite online learning's benefits, local Bay Area brick-and-mortar CCs shouldn't be too concerned about "stolen" enrollment. An Opp Now exclusive.

I am not surprised at Calbright's enrollment growth—they have many appealing features for students. First, because they are not based on lectures/classes at a particular time, students can study whenever (and wherever) is convenient. Second, by being online, students do not have to spend time and money commuting. Third, the classes are free! Fourth, the programs are done in blocks so that students can study at their own pace rather than being tied to a traditional academic calendar with semesters, quarters, etc.

At the same time, I think that there are limits to what Calbright can achieve. Anecdotal evidence from Covid suggests that, while some students learn better in an online environment, many students prefer (and do better in) traditional classroom-based learning. (In fact, there may be more than “anecdotal” evidence on this, as I'm not an expert on online vs. in-class education.)

Additionally, I think local CCs can compete with Calbright. Local “bricks-and-mortar” community colleges have a much wider range of offerings than Calbright. I suspect it is difficult to replicate the “college experience” with student clubs, socializing, etc. in an online-only setting. Also, at the moment, Calbright is not accredited, so it is unclear how much Calbright will be valued by employers.

Overall, I think Calbright has the potential to improve the community college education through their online offerings. However, the 2021 audit suggests that Calbright has some work to do to achieve that potential.

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Image by West Valley College