College is often considered one of the best ways to step up the income ladder and have flexibility in terms of career choice. But right now, the affordability of college itself is in doubt.

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education has issued a "report card" with grades for every state that rank them on college affordability and other criteria.

Every single state got an F except for California, which got a C-.

Why did California earn the only passing grade? The state has had a longstanding tradition of students spending their first 2 years at a cheap community college and their last 2 years at more expensive 4-year schools. In essence, college students in the Golden State have been getting degrees at 50% off for years.

This is one circumstance where the other 49 states can learn from California. Clark would love students in all states to consider doing a few years at a community college before jumping into a traditional 4-year school.

The penny-pincher often gets calls from people with massive student loan debt. Don't be one of those people. Think about the alternatives.