A Comparative Study of the Community Model in China and Saudi Arabia

In the United States, much has been written about community colleges and their contributions to the higher education landscape. What is less well known is the growing number of countries that have their own community college models. Where they exist, the models have been adapted and institutionalized to meet the unique social,cultural, and educational needs of the communities they serve. Among these countries are China and Saudi Arabia. The community college models in China and Saudi Arabia are relatively new phenomena and, as such, there is very little descriptive and explanatory data upon which to base any comparative analysis. This study adds to the body of descriptive and explanatory data available and compares the two models through the lens of five homogenizing characteristics. Of the five characteristics used for the comparison, open access is the characteristic where the two models most notably diverge from the United States model. In China, the 1,297 Higher Vocational Colleges (HVCs) were identified as the institutions that best represent the community college model in China. In Saudi Arabia, four types of tertiary institutions (139 total); Male and Female Colleges of Technology; Colleges of Excellence (COE); Strategic Partnership Institutes; and Community Colleges were identified for the community college model in Saudi Arabia.