Cutting down on costs by earning an associate’s degree first and then transferring to a four-year college or university can be done by attending a community college. Community colleges offer two-year associate degrees, such as the Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T), which are designed to be fully transferable to four-year institutions like California State Universities (CSU) and other participating universities

. This pathway allows students to complete the first two years of their education at a significantly lower tuition cost before transferring to a four- year college or university to complete their bachelor's degree. Many community colleges have established transfer agreements guaranteeing admission to partnering four-year institutions, making this a cost-effective and efficient route to a bachelor's degree

. In summary, the type of higher education institution to attend first for this cost-saving strategy is a community college.