The world's largest community college system, educating 300,000+ Air Force and Space Force enlisted personnel.
CCAF offers Associate of Applied Science degrees across five broad career areas: Aircraft and Missile Maintenance, Allied Health, Electronics and Telecommunications, Logistics and Resources, and Public and Support Services. The college currently offers 67 specific degree programs and awards over 22,000 associate degrees annually. All students are enrolled automatically upon completion of Basic Training, making CCAF the world's largest community college system by enrollment.
The Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative (AU-ABC) program directs CCAF graduates to accredited partner colleges and universities for four-year degree completion. Most CCAF graduates require no more than 60 additional semester hours to complete a bachelor's degree. The General Education Mobile (GEM) partnership provides online general education courses meeting CCAF requirements through regionally accredited civilian institutions, available anytime and anywhere via the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC).
CCAF was officially established on April 1, 1972, following approval by the Air Force Chief of Staff in November 1971 and the Secretary of the Air Force in January 1972. The college initially offered only certificate programs until 1975, when it sought degree-granting authority. President Gerald Ford signed Public Law 94-361 on July 14, 1976, authorizing the AETC commander to confer associate degrees. CCAF received regional accreditation from SACS on December 12, 1980, and now shares accreditation through Air University's SACS Commission on Colleges accreditation.