Many kinds of colleges offer programs that are less than four years in length. Most of these schools offer education and training programs that are two years in length or shorter. The programs often lead to a license, a certificate, an associate of arts (A.A.) degree, an associate of science (A.S.) degree, or an associate of applied science (A.A.S.) degree.

Some programs at two-year colleges lead to an A.S. or A.A. degree in an academic discipline. These academic programs are often comparable to the first two years of a general academic program offered by a four-year college or university. In many cases, two-year degrees can be transferred to four-year schools and credited toward a B.A. or B.S. degree.

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