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Preparing for College
Types of Postsecondary Schools
Four-Year Colleges or Universities
The vast majority of programs offered in these institutions are four-year
programs of study that lead to bachelor's degrees. Most of these institutions
offer preprofessional and professional curricula. Colleges and universities may be
public, private nonprofit, or private for-profit.
Two-Year Junior, Community, or Technical Colleges
Programs in junior and community colleges are two years in length and lead to associate degrees.
Some programs are designed to transfer for credit at four-year colleges or universities, while
others are technical programs leading directly to employment. Some publicly financed state universities
also offer two-year programs. Technical colleges provide training for students who want to learn
a specific skill or improve their present skills. Programs at these schools range in length
from 6 to 24 months and cover a wide variety of occupations.
Proprietary (Trade) Schools
Proprietary schools are privately owned and licensed to sell programs in Alabama. They provide
a wide range of courses of study, such as hairdressing, cosmetology, business, and broadcasting.
Some schools specialize in only one area of study while others provide courses ranging from
secretarial science to medical assistance. The state of Alabama also licenses a number of degree-granting
proprietary schools that offer programs at specific sites throughout the state and correspondance
schools that offer national and international programs. Programs generally take from 2 to 24
months to complete.
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