Rockingham Community College is a public two-year institution in Wentworth, North Carolina, serving Rockingham County since 1966.
Rockingham Community College is located at 215 Wrenn Memorial Rd., Wentworth, NC 27375. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Quick facts on the homepage list fall 2025 enrollment at 1,831.
The college was chartered in 1963, and classes began in 1966. Its first graduation was held in August 1967, and in December 1968 it was fully accredited by SACSCOC, retroactive to the opening of the college, to grant the associate degree. Rockingham County is the birthplace of the North Carolina Community College System, and the center in Leaksville was the forerunner of the college. In February 1990 the college announced its mission of enhancing individual and community success in Rockingham County.
The Associate in Fine Arts Degree was offered beginning September 1985. The Associate Degree Nursing program is approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing, and the Respiratory Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. The Surgical Technology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. In August 1985, 100 percent of Associate Degree Nursing graduates who took state licensing exams passed for the second year.
The Harold W. Whitcomb Student Center opened in April 1971 and is the first building on campus named for an individual, built and furnished entirely from individual and corporate gifts. The Learning Resources Center was renamed The Gerald B. James Library in January 1994. The Center for Workforce Development began operating for students in August 2024. Facilities include the James Library, study rooms, Genealogy & Local History collections, and a Fitness Center with cardio and weight equipment, locker rooms, and showers.
The college offers open door admission for degree, diploma, and certificate students, along with routes for new and returning students, high school and dual enrollment through Career & College Promise, visiting students (special credit), and workforce continuing education.