The 100 Best Community Colleges in America By Elizabeth Jackson, Stacker News On 5/16/21 at 8:00 AM EDT With college costs mounting and student debt remaining a hot topic of conversation, public opinion on four-year colleges has begun to shift, as people contemplate whether they are in fact the only—or best—option for all students. An estimated 8.7 million undergraduates enrolled in public, two-year colleges during the 2016–17 academic year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. A 2019 study from TD Ameritrade found 36 percent of Gen Z students considered attending a community college before a four-year college, while 21 percent considered attending a community college instead of a four-year college.