What is a Four-Year College or University?
Four-year colleges and universities offer a variety of academic majors and degree options. They are generally larger and include a liberal arts college, as well as colleges focused on preparation for specific careers, like nursing, engineering, or education.
Four-year colleges provide bachelor’s degrees, but may also provide master’s, and doctoral degrees. Four-year colleges and universities may be large or small, urban or rural, public or private, in-state or out-of-state; so it is important to do your research when exploring your college or university options.
Explore these resources if you are considering a four-year college or university:
General College info
- U.S. Department of Education – College Scorecard (Compare colleges based on cost, graduation rates, and earnings)
🔗 https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/ - National Center for Education Statistics – College Navigator
🔗 https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ - College Navigator (National Center for Education Statistics) – Search colleges based on location, tuition, size, and more.
🔗 https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ - My Next Move (O*NET) – Helps students explore career paths and find matching college programs.
🔗 https://www.mynextmove.org/ - Get Schooled – Resources to help you choose your path, get into college, and find your first job
🔗 https://getschooled.com/ - YouVisit – Offers virtual campus tours for colleges across the U.S.
🔗 https://www.youvisit.com/colleges - Road2College – A blog and community offering tips on admissions and financial aid.
🔗 https://www.road2college.com/
College Applications & Admissions
- Common App – Apply to multiple colleges using one application.
🔗 https://www.commonapp.org/ - Coalition for College – Another multi-college application system with free resources for students.
🔗 https://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/ - College Essay Guy – Free resources and guides for writing strong college essays.
🔗 https://www.collegeessayguy.com/ - Lettersmith🔗
https://lettersmith.ai.umich.edu/
Financial Aid & Scholarships
- FAFSA (Federal Student Aid) – Official site for federal financial aid applications.
🔗 https://studentaid.gov/ - CSS Profile (College Board) – Some colleges require this for additional financial aid consideration.
🔗 https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/ - Scholarships.com – Find scholarships by major, minority status, GPA, and more.
🔗 https://www.scholarships.com/ - Cappex – Search for scholarships and colleges that match your profile.
🔗 https://www.cappex.com/ - BigFuture Scholarships (College Board) – Scholarships based on activities like college planning steps.
🔗 https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/bigfuture-scholarships
Scholarships for First-Generation & Minority Students
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund – Supports Latino students with financial aid and mentorship.
🔗 https://www.hsf.net/ - The Gates Scholarship – Full-ride scholarship for outstanding minority students.
🔗 https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/ - Dell Scholars Program – For first-generation, low-income students.
🔗 https://www.dellscholars.org/ - Coca-Cola Scholars Program – Awards $20,000 to high school seniors based on leadership.
🔗 https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/apply/ - Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship – For high-achieving, low-income students.
🔗 https://www.jkcf.org/
College Prep & Timelines
- BigFuture by College Board – Step-by-step college planning based on grade level.
🔗 https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ - ACT & SAT Prep (Khan Academy for SAT) – Free test prep for college entrance exams.
🔗 https://www.khanacademy.org/sat - RaiseMe – Earn small scholarships from colleges based on achievements in high school.
🔗 https://www.raise.me/