In order to respond effectively to the burgeoning global knowledge economy, each nation must educate a greater number of people to higher levels than ever before. And particular attention must be given to expanding the ability of low-income individuals to access and succeed in college--especially in the developing world, where they make up such a huge proportion of the population. So the challenge is how to exponentially increase the base of people who have postsecondary education. In this article, the authors argue that the best way to address this new global challenge is to adopt the framework embedded within the structure, mission, and ideals represented by the American community college model. They contend that if countries are willing to adopt and adapt a community-college-like system, there is the potential for greater positive outcomes than just a larger proportion of a country's citizens educated to higher levels. For a developing country, a community college system could offer a model of higher education that provides flexibility in terms of curriculum and training and is at the same time deeply tied to the specific character and needs of the local economy. An example that illustrates the potential of the community college in the developing world is presented. (Contains 2 figures.)