Camden County College is one of the largest community colleges in New Jersey and one of the most sophisticated in the nation. Recent studies of federal Department of Education data have shown that in addition to ranking among then nation’s top 100 community colleges for overall associate’s degree completion and among the nation’s top five for associate’s degree completion in education, the College also ranks among the top 50 for associate’s degrees completed in nursing and in health professions/related clinical sciences. It also ranks among the top 75 in associate’s degrees completed by African-American students and by non-minority students. Camden County College also was identified as one of the nation’s fastest-growing community colleges in recent years.

The College is recognized nationally as a leader in technology programs such as robotics, computer-integrated manufacturing and photonics. In addition, it is acknowledged regionally as a vital resource for transfer education, customized training and cultural events. Because it has maintained one of the lowest tuition rates of any college or university in the state or region while offering such outstanding programming, the College has come to be known as the best higher educational value in the Delaware Valley.

Perhaps most importantly, Camden County College is recognized universally as an institution of higher education that ably fulfills its mission of offering affordable, high-quality education to the individuals and entities it is charged with serving.

Vision
Camden County College enhances the quality of life in Camden County and beyond by preparing students to live, work and thrive in a global economy. The College further fulfills its responsibility to the citizens of Camden County and New Jersey by creating a skilled and stable local workforce; encouraging enlightened civic engagement; providing an avenue of social mobility; and serving as a destination for cultural and recreational activities.

Mission
Camden County College is a comprehensive public community college with three distinct campuses that have a common mission: To provide accessible and affordable education – including 100-plus associate’s degree and occupational certificate programs along with non-credit development courses and customized job training – to all who can benefit. The College also aims to provide the support services students need to transfer for further studies or prepare for a career. Finally, the College aspires to respond to the changing needs of its community and students by continuously updating its programs and services to support the economic development of Camden County and the region as well as the personal development of their citizens.

History
Camden County College’s mission was launched when what had been Mother of the Savior Seminary – along with the 320-acre tract of land surrounding it – was purchased early in 1967. By September of that year, the first class of Camden County College students was taking courses on the Blackwood Campus.

In 2005, the Camden County Freeholders announced a six-year, $83 million capital initiative to rebuild the Blackwood Campus. This dramatic transformation is the most significant project undertaken by Camden County College since the institution was founded over 40 years ago as it affects more than half of the facilities and structural amenities on the campus.
The first phase of this plan, concluded in 2008, included the refurbishment of Madison Hall, which is the busiest classroom building on campus. It also included construction of the Connector Building, the 27th campus building, which connects Madison with the Otto R. Mauke Community Center and serves as the headquarters for the College’s Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility. Subsequent phases will include the demolition of seven buildings, construction of two more new buildings and creation of roads, grounds and athletic fields suitable for such a large, multi-faceted campus.

The College’s presence in downtown Camden began in the spring of 1969, when an evening diploma-completion program was offered to 20 students who had finished 10th grade but not graduated from high school. This program helped the students prepare to pass their general educational development (GED) test so they could begin full-time college-level courses on the Blackwood Campus that fall.

In 1991, a five-story campus building – now known as College Hall – was opened at Camden’s Broadway and Cooper Street, providing the College’s first permanent home in the city. A second building, the eight-story academic, retail and parking facility known as the Camden Technology Center, was constructed across the street on the block bordered by Broadway and Cooper, Sixth and Penn streets in 2004 as one of the first projects completed under the Camden Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act.

Camden County College’s third campus location opened in 2000 as the result of a unique public/private partnership between the college, Cherry Hill Township and the William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation. The two-story William G. Rohrer Center, located at Route 70 and Springdale Road in Cherry Hill, is named to reflect the generosity of the late banker’s endowment.
The College also offers individual and sets of courses at various locations throughout Camden County, bringing additional educational opportunities to areas where residents most need them.

Today
Thanks to its technology-rich physical resources and its highly-qualified, dedicated faculty, staff and administration, Camden County College has created a tradition of quality education and a reputation of agile, responsive service. The College now serves an enrollment of more than 30,000 credit students and thousands more non-credit students each year. Programs cover technical fields like automotive technology and mechanical engineering; health professions like nursing and medical coding; and liberal arts and sciences like English and chemistry. There also is a multitude of recreational offerings, ranging from social dancing to computer applications. All who study, visit or work at the College’s three campus locations find comfortable, safe and attractive settings that sustain a vibrant academic community characterized by imaginative teaching, caring student services, energetic management and collegial discussion of diverse ideas and opinions.