How common are two-year-college dorms in MN and the U.S.?

In January 2011 I posted a mother’s research into which two-year colleges in Minnesota (and elsewhere in the Midwest) that have dormitories. It was an attempt to get college experience for her son that was similar to that of a four-year campus.

It sounded like dorms were pretty rare at two-year institutions. But this map and overview by the American Association of Community Colleges shows that 25 percent of campuses have them — making them more common that I thought.

Minnesota seems to be in the middle of the pack in the number of campuses with residence halls. I’ll see if I can get more details.

The association notes:

Over the last decade, public two-year colleges have seen a gradual growth of on-campus student housing. Between

2000 and 2010, 43 community colleges have established new student housing. Despite the increase, only 1% of two-year

college students live on campus, compared to 14% of all undergraduates across the country.

About the blogger

Alex Friedrich

afriedrich@mpr.org

Alex Friedrich reports on higher education issues for MPR News. Among the stories he has covered: the fall of the Berlin Wall, aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, 2003 Moscow suicide bombing and 2004 presidential elections in the Republic of Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s in European political economy from the London School of Economics.