While no community college is so competitive that a parent would commit fraud to get their kid in, the coursework typically mirrors that of Freshman- and Sophomore-level classes at Baccalaureate institutions. Not only are the CC courses much less expensive, they also provide students with less-than-stellar high school transcripts a second chance to demonstrate that they are well-qualified to transfer into a competitive college program. So many families deprecate CCs because there is so little ‘prestige’ in attending them. However, if a student transfers to a more-impressive college, their eventual degree is no different from that of a ‘native’ student who attended that college for all four (more like five, these days!) years.
Of course, besides the transfer programs, there are so many two-year degrees and certificates that are more appropriate for students who are looking for a good job. A good example is a Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), who can perform many of the tasks of a Registered Physical Therapist (RPT), which requires a Doctorate (DPT)! To be sure, someone with a DPT makes quite a bit more than a PTA, but it will take about 10 years for that DPT to pay back the difference in the cost between the two degrees.