Lately, juniors have been plagued with dread. “What college do I apply to?” “Where do I fit in?” “What do I want to major in?” One of the first things to decide is what type of college you want to apply to. Here is an overview of what type of colleges you can look at to help in your future collegiate journey.

Public University

Public universities are funded by the state or federal government and are usually cheaper than private schools. Therefore, they have a larger student population generally made up of both undergraduate and graduate students. Because the population is so big, there are ordinarily more clubs, classes and activities for the students to participate in. These schools are most often in urban locations, allowing students to experience the city around them as well. Class sizes are large and there may be an auditorium full of people in one class. Students are filed into certain classes pertaining to their major, and it is customary to declare one’s major early into the first year. Some of the closest state universities closest to Texarkana are Texas A&M, University of Texas and University of Central Arkansas.

Private University

Private universities are generally more expensive than public universities due to the fact that they rely on tuition and donations rather than federal or state funds. Students are most often given a liberal arts education with classes in many fields, and they are not required to declare their major until the second year. Private colleges can be in both rural and urban locations and class sizes are much smaller than public universities, giving students a chance to know their teachers one-on-one. Additionally, private schools are usually made up of solely undergraduate students and clubs and activities are slightly more limited than public schools. Some examples of private universities in close proximity are Texas Christian University and Hendrix College.

Community College

Community colleges are often schools that provide a two year associate degree so that students may transfer to a larger, four year university after to earn a bachelor’s degree. Many students choose to go to community college first, as it keeps them closer to home for a while and is much cheaper than public or private school. The most well-known in Texarkana is Texarkana College.

Vocational/Career Colleges

For students who want to go straight into a job that only requires an associate’s degree–such as dental hygeine, welding or cosmetology–vocational college is the right choice, as students immediately begin training for their future career right out of high school and are ready to work after two years. Some examples of vocational colleges are Remington College and Texarkana College.