Established in the 1960s

Since 1961, 17 community colleges have been established in Oregon. In addition to their main campuses, 74 outreach centers are operated for the benefit of residents within community college districts. Portland Community College operates three comprehensive campuses. Rogue Community College operates two campuses: the Grants Pass campus and the Medford campus.

Ninety-seven percent of Oregon’s population lives within a community college district. Only seven full counties and portions of four other counties are not within a community college district. In May 2001, voters approved the annexation of a portion of Hood River County to the Columbia Gorge Community College District.

Central Oregon Community College in Bend was the only community college formed under a 1957 law, which allowed local school districts to call for an election to form a community college. Central Oregon Community College held another election following the passage of the 1961 law.

Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay has the distinction of holding the first election under the 1961 law that formed the basis for Oregon’s system of independent comprehensive community colleges. In 1995 the voters of Curry County approved a measure to annex that county to the Southwestern Oregon Community College district.

Other community colleges were established as follows:

• Clatsop CC in Astoria, 1958
• Clackamas CC in Oregon City, 1961
• Portland CC in Portland, 1961
• Blue Mountain CC in Pendleton, 1962
• Treasure Valley CC in Ontario, 1962
• Lane CC in Eugene, 1964
• Umpqua CC in Roseburg, 1964
• Mt. Hood CC in Gresham, 1965
• Linn-Benton CC in Albany, 1967
• Chemeketa CC in Salem, 1970
• Rogue CC in Grants Pass, 1970
• Tillamook Bay CC in Tillamook, 1981
• Oregon Coast CC in Newport, 1987
• Columbia Gorge CC in The Dalles, 1989 (formerly Treaty Oak Community College Service District, formed in 1977)
• Klamath CC in Klamath Falls, 1996

Community college classes also are offered as a contracted-out-of-district service at locations throughout Oregon not in community college districts. The contracts for these services are with existing community colleges. Community colleges also offer distance-learning classes on-line via the Internet or via cable television.

In 2003-04, Oregon’s 17 community colleges served 330,595 students, down from a high in the 2000-01 school year of 403,931. Current enrollment figures are available from the Oregon Community College Association’s Web site, the Department of Education’s Community College and Workforce Development Web site or on individual community college Web sites.

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