Missouri's oldest public college, founded 1915, serving 13,000+ students across four Kansas City-area campuses.
MCC offers 125 associate degree and certificate programs organized into eight Academic and Career Pathways: Applied Technology and Manufacturing, Art/Humanities/Language/Communications, Business, Education, Exploratory, Health Sciences, STEM, and Social Sciences/Public Service. Campuses are known for specialized strengths: Blue River's cybersecurity program, Longview's automotive technology and Writing Across the Curriculum, Maple Woods' veterinary technology and geographic information systems, and Penn Valley's nursing and allied health programs through its Health Science Institute.
The college operates five campuses: MCC-Blue River (Independence), MCC-Longview (Lee's Summit), MCC-Maple Woods (Kansas City), MCC-Penn Valley (midtown Kansas City), and MCC-Online. Athletics teams are known as the Wolves, with sports programs including men's and women's basketball, soccer, golf, cross country, volleyball, baseball, and softball. The college hosts annual community events including Jazz in the Valley festival, Flights of Fancy Mega Kite Festival, and All for the Children resource fair. Student support includes clubs, organizations, tutoring, food pantry, and disability services.
MCC is an open-access institution welcoming first-time, returning, transfer, dual-credit, part-time, and full-time students. The application process includes five steps: completing a free online application, discovering financial aid options, course placement via test scores or ACCUPLACER, scheduling advising and enrollment, and attending orientation. Some programs require selective admissions. The college received over $35 million in grants, scholarships, and third-party aid for students in 2024-25.
Founded in 1915 as Kansas City Polytechnic Institute, MCC is the oldest public college in Kansas City and the first community college established in Missouri. It was the third school in the country accredited by the North Central Association (1918) and among the first to award two-year associate degrees. The institution is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The college district expanded significantly in 1964 when suburban school districts consolidated, and again in the 1980s-1990s and 2021 with additional district attachments.