well if you transfer from the community college to the 4-year institution it should not really affect you since you did obtain a degree from the higher institution. Just know that when you do transfer, the 4-yr school will be much more rigorous and also make sure if you go to the cc that you get advice from the 4-yr institution you want to go to, to see what classes will transfer and the classes you need to take for whatever degree you are pursuing. I have some friends that took courses that did not transfer to certain degrees (i.e. art history for an engineering degree) Personally I think the 4-yr institution will serve you better in the long run so there is no shock when you transfer and see how much harder it is. I go to UT-Austin during the year, and do my basics (history, govt, english, etc) in the summer, and I can say they are much more watered down compared to the coursework I do at UT. To answer your question, if you only got an associates degree from a cc, it would not look too good, but if you transfer to a 4yr school, it should not hurt your chances of getting a job after graduation. The only thing it would affect would be things like if you wanted to go to medical or law school. Just remember to make sure you are taking the correct classes and that they WILL transfer. Best of luck and don't forget to apply for scholarships!