Berkshire Community College

Story

Berkshire Community College is an accredited, co-educational two-year community college in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Its primary campus is in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, with a satellite campus in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and classroom spaces in the city of Pittsfield. Established in the 1960s, it is the oldest college founded by the Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office.More than 3,000 students enroll annually in BCC's academic programs, which include associate degrees, certificate programs, and transfer programs. An additional 5,200 enroll in noncredit or workforce development courses. The majority of students are from Massachusetts, with 96% coming from Berkshire County. The student body is 61% female and nearly half of enrolled students are 23 years old or older.Berkshire Community College has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges since 1964. In 2006, the college was recognized as the only community college in the state to exceed the national average in graduation rates for 2002-04. The Berkshire Eagle (formerly Berkshires Week) has continuously named BCC the "Best College" in the Berkshires since 2001.HistoryBerkshire Community College opened on September 15, 1960 as the first publicly funded community college in Massachusetts. The Old Central High School in Pittsfield served as BCC's campus for its first eleven years, during which admission grew from 153 students to 1,222. The college moved to its current campus at 1350 West Street in 1972.