@redenigma I think they're generally less selective than 4 year schools. When I was graduating HS the local CC was often referred to as '13th grade'.
@redenigma Which did not prevent me, nor my siblings from earning AA degrees from Nassau Community College. My bro & I both went on to earn Bachelors' and then advanced degrees (MA, JD in my case, MD, PhD in his).
@rpardee my dad always said where you get your undergrad degree doesn't matter. you can save money & go to CC for 2 years, then transfer to a degree program at a state school for example, then when/if you go for a master's &/or Phd, you can look into snotty, er expensive schools because where you get those matters more, as far as future payscale/ employment prospects
@redenigma (I'm not really upset about this BTW--she got an excellent education & is a smart cookie. She'll be fine no matter what.)
@rpardee my high school didn't have AP in the 70s, it was college track or laborer track, both of which sucked, not just because kids were tracked by what their parents were (white or blue collar) but because college track kids couldn't take shop, home ec, or even typing (!).
@redenigma oh dang--that's a heck of a straightjacket...
@redenigma And relatedly, I am persuaded that if your HS offers both AP classes and running start, you're better off w/the latter. AP credits may or may not transfer to a 4-year school, but if you can manage to get an Associates degree, that's almost always going to be honored.