Cerro Coso Community College
Tel:
(760) 384-6100
- The mission of Cerro Coso Community College is to provide high quality degree and certificate curricula in lower division arts and sciences and in vocational/ technical/ occupational education. Essential to this mission is providing support services which enhance student opportunities for success. As part of this mission, the college will respond to the interests, aspirations, and capabilities of students while encouraging them to develop as useful, contributing members of society.
School Highlights
Cerro Coso Community College serves 6,074 students (16% of students are full-time).
Minority enrollment is 61% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 75%.
Top Rankings
Cerro Coso Community College ranks among the top 20% of community colleges in California for:
- Category Attribute
- Debt For Students Least debt for graduating students
School Overview
The teacher population of 91 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
| Cerro Coso Community College | (CA) Community College Avg. | |
| Carnegie Classification | Associate's Colleges: High Transfer-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional | Associate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Vocational & Technical-High Traditional |
| Institution Level | At least 2 but less than 4 years | At least 2 but less than 4 years |
| Institution Control | Public | Public |
| Total Faculty | 91 staff | 149 staff |
Source: 2019 (or latest year available) IPEDS
School Notes
- Cerro Coso Community College was established in 1973 as a separate college within the Kern Community College District. Cerro Coso has five instructional sites (Eastern Sierra Center Bishop & Mammoth, Indian Wells Valley, Kern River Valley, and South Kern), which together form the largest geographical service area (18,000 square miles) of any community college in California and which serve a population of approximately 85,000. A leader in online education, Cerro Coso has been offering online classes since 1997 and offers 9 Associate's degrees entirely online and as many as 100+ classes online each year, with approximately 100 sections per semester. The 320-acre Indian Wells Valley Campus is located in the upper Mojave Desert in the community of Ridgecrest, with a population of 28,000. Ridgecrest is located 130 miles northeast of Los Angeles and 120 miles east of Bakersfield. Cerro Coso Community College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The college and its programs are also approved by the California Community College Board of Governors, the California Board of Licensed Vocational Nurse and Psychiatric Examiners, and the California Department of Education for the enrollment of veterans. The University of California and other universities and colleges give full credit to appropriate lower division courses completed at Cerro Coso Community College. CCOnline, Cerro Coso Community College's virtual campus, currently offers associate degrees online, the general education courses necessary to meet transfer requirements to a four year institution, and student support services. CCOnline has an international reputation for excellence and provides an extraordinary opportunity for those too distant from a community college or too involved in business or family to pursue higher education during traditional hours.
Nearby Schools
The nearest community college to Cerro Coso Community College is Barstow Community College (60.2 miles away).
- College Location Mi. Students
- 3,052 students | 60.20 Mi2700 Barstow Road
Barstow, CA 92311
(760) 252-2411 60.203,052 - University of Antelope ValleyPrivate for-profit894 students | 66.70 Mi44055 Sierra Highway
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 726-1911 66.70894 - Antelope Valley CollegePublic14,239 students | 74.10 Mi3041 West Ave K
Lancaster, CA 93536
(661) 722-6300 74.1014,239 - 24,589 students | 74.60 Mi1801 Panorama Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93305
(661) 395-4011 74.6024,589 - Victor Valley CollegePublic12,231 students | 79.10 Mi18422 Bear Valley Rd
Victorville, CA 92395
(760) 245-4271 79.1012,231
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