Established 1968 (1968) Website www.gocolumbia.edu Graduation rate 19.6% (2014) Average salary after attending undergrad 23,700 USD (2013) | President Angela Fairchilds Phone +1 209-588-5100 Founded 1968 Average annual cost for students receiving federal aid 5,337 USD (2014) | |
Type Public community college Location Sonora, California, United States of America Address Tamarack, 11600 Columbia College Dr, Sonora, CA 95370, USA Undergraduate tuition and fees Local tuition: 1,150 USD (2015), Domestic tuition: 6,406 USD (2015) Similar Modesto Junior College, Yuba Community College, Merced College, Porterville College, Taft College Profiles | ||
Columbia College is a community college located in the Yosemite Community College District in Sonora, California along with Modesto Junior College. Established in September 1968 as Columbia Junior College, the college dropped "Junior" from its name in 1978.
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Attendance in 2009 was around 2,338.
Dr. Angela Fairchilds is the current president.
The architectural style of the college is that of California during the Gold Rush era.
The college has a fire department on campus that is staffed by an on duty crew of at least two personnel daily.
History
In 1954, the district electorate decided to expand the former Modesto Junior College District into a larger area stretching out to the Yosemite Community College District. This is one of the largest districts in the state, geographically. It covers more than 100 miles of the San Joaquin Valley on the west to the Sierra Nevada on the east. Its area of almost 4,000 square miles includes Tuolumne, Stanislaus County, and areas from San Joaquin, Merced, Calaveras, and Santa Clara County.
Student enrollment was increasing and the need for more schools in these mountainous areas increased. The long distance travel required for students to attend Modesto Junior College was very difficult. The high demand caused the Community College District Board of Trustees to authorize the formation of Columbia Junior College and its opening in 1968. In 1978, the school removed the word 'Junior' from its name.