Elgin Community College

Elgin Community College, located in Elgin, Illinois, was founded in 1949 as a part of the Elgin Area School District U46. The school was given its own community college district two decades later, about a year after the Illinois Public Community College System was founded. The school serves a majority of Kane County, and parts of DeKalb, Cook, McHenry, and DuPage counties. The school originally held classes at Elgin High School and was later given a 145-acre campus that was once a farm colony. Recently the school received funding to expand the campus in order to meet increased enrollment and renovate previous existing buildings. Elgin Community College offers a variety of programs that allow for career development or academic transfer. Students may choose the program that best assists in the realization of their goals. Career programs provide training and education in a specific field, allowing the student to develop the skills and abilities necessary to enter the workforce as a qualified professional for long-term employment. These programs typically mix traditional classroom education with practical education that allows students to utilize and perfect methods and techniques used within their field. Programs take between one and two years to complete and result in a certificate or associate degree which demonstrates competency to employers when seeking entry-level employment. Academic transfer is accomplished by enrolling in a program that covers the first two years of a four-year education, followed by applying to a college or university to continue their education and complete the final two years of their bachelor's degree. Students will have an easier time transferring to public schools in Illinois through preexisting transfer agreements, though it is possible to transfer credits to out-of-state or private institutions. Students should meet with an academic advisor to discuss transfer requirements and develop a curriculum that best meets the needs of the desired school or schools.