New Jersey's system of 18 public community colleges serving all 21 counties with accessible, affordable higher education.
New Jersey operates a comprehensive system of 18 public community colleges at the county level, with each college serving one or more of the state's 21 counties. Atlantic Cape Community College, Rowan College of South Jersey, and Raritan Valley Community College each serve two counties. The oldest institution, Union College (New Jersey), was founded in 1933 by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration as Union County Junior College and operated as a private college from 1936 to 1982 before merging with Union County Technical Institute to become a public institution.
In 2003, Governor James McGreevey created the New Jersey Community Colleges Compact through Executive Order No. 81 as a statewide partnership enabling cooperation between colleges and state departments. The New Jersey Council of County Colleges, founded in 1989 under statute 18A:64A-26, administers the compact and makes recommendations on resource deployment while providing educational and training materials to college administrations.
As of Fall 2024, the 18 county colleges collectively serve over 140,000 students. Bergen Community College is the largest with 11,720 students, while Warren County Community College is the smallest with 944 students. These institutions provide accessible pathways to higher education across urban, suburban, and rural areas of New Jersey.