The North Carolina Community College System (System Office) is a statewide network of 58 public community colleges. The system enrolls nearly 600,000 students annually. It also provides the North Carolina Learning Object Repository as a central location to manage, collect, contribute, and share digital learning resources for use in traditional or distance-learning environments.

History In the years following World War II, North Carolina began a rapid shift from an agricultural to an industrial economy. With that change came an awareness that a different kind of education was needed in the state. People who did not desire a four-year baccalaureate education nevertheless had the need for more than a high-school diploma.

In 1950, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction authorized a study of the need for a system of tax-supported community colleges. The resulting report, by Dr. Allan S. Hurlburt, was published in 1952. It proposed a plan for development of state supported community colleges. In 1957, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted the first Community College Act and provided funding for community colleges.

The same (1957) General Assembly also provided funding to initiate a statewide system of industrial education centers, to train adults and selected high-school students in skills needed by industry. By 1961, the five public junior colleges were emphasizing arts and sciences, and seven industrial education centers were focusing on technical and vocational education.

In 1961, North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford appointed a Governor's Commission on Education Beyond the High School with Irving E. Carlyle as its chairman. Commonly referred to as the "Carlyle Commission", the body produced a set of proposals in August 1962 aimed at increasing college enrollment in North Carolina. One of its recommendations was the consolidation of the state's "public junior colleges" and "industrial education centers" under a single system of community colleges. In May 1963, the General Assembly responded by creating a Department of Community Colleges under the State Board of Education.

By 1966, 43 institutions had 28,250 full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollments. In 1969, 54 institutions had 59,329 FTEs. The system had grown very rapidly, exceeding 10% annually nearly every year until the late 1970s; in 1974–75, growth reached 33%. The system continues to grow in enrollments nearly every year, but by much more modest margins. The number of colleges has not increased since Brunswick Community College became the 58th in 1978. In 1991, the North Carolina Center for Applied Textile Technology became subject to the management of the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges. In July 2005, Gaston College, part of the North Carolina Community College System, absorbed the textile center.

The original legislation placed the community college system under the purview of the State Board of Education, and created a State Department of Community Colleges. In the early years of the system, the State Board of Education chairperson was Dallas Herring; David Bruton succeeded him in 1977.

In 1979, the General Assembly changed the state control of the system. Provision was made for a separate State Board of Community Colleges. The board was appointed and organized in 1980, and met several times with the State Board of Education. The new board assumed full responsibility for the system on January 1, 1981. The board's first chairperson was Duke Power Company executive Carl Horn. He was succeeded in 1983 by John A. Forlines, president of Bank of Granite and then by William F. Simpson in 1989. Lt. Governor Dennis A. Wicker served as chair from 1993 until 1999. Dr. G. Herman Porter, former president of Wayne Community College, served from 1999 until 2001. Businessman James J. Woody, Jr., of Roxboro served from 2001 until July 2005. Progress Energy executive Hilda Pinnix-Ragland served four terms from 2005 to 2013. She was succeeded as chair by Dr. Linwood Powell of Fayetteville in 2013. Businessman Scott Shook of Greenville served 2015–2019 as chair. The current board chair is Breeden Blackwell of Fayetteville, a retired school principal and elected city and county official. The board vice chair is Bill McBrayer, a furniture-company executive from Hickory.

In 1988, the North Carolina Community College System celebrated its 25th anniversary, recognizing that in its first quarter century of service, the system had emerged as the nation's third-largest community college network, educating millions of students during its 32-year history and employing thousands of faculty and staff.

System presidents As of 2024, the North Carolina Community College System has had 11 presidents, originally called directors of the Department of Community Colleges: Isaac Ready (19631970) Ben E. Fountain, Jr. (19711978) Charles R. Holloman (acting) (September 1978July 1979) Larry J. Blake (19791982) Robert W. Scott (19831995) Lloyd V. Hackley (19951997) Martin Lancaster (19972008) Scott Ralls (20082015) George Fouts (interim) (2015July 2016) Jimmie Williamson (20162017) Jennifer Haygood (acting) (October 2017April 2018) Peter Hans (20182020) Bill Carver (interim) (Aug. 1, 2020Jan. 11, 2021) Thomas Stith III (Jan. 11, 2021Jul. 22, 2022)EdNC Bill Carver (interim) (Jul. 25, 2022June 2023) Jeffrey A. Cox (June 2023June 30, 2026) NC Community College System website: Biography of Dr. CoxDr. Jeff Cox, Wilkes Community College president, named new leader of North Carolina Community College System Bill Carver (interim) (2026)State Board of Community Colleges Names Bill Carver Interim President Monty Sullivan (August 2026-present)

Colleges Official name(Previous name) Official abbrev. LocationService Area (Counties) EnrollmentUnduplicated total of curriculum and continuing education students, as of 2022–2023 Founded Joined system Former name/predecessor institution (s) ReferencesAlamance Community CollegeACCGraham Alamance12,24319581963Alamance Industrial Education Center (1958–1963)Technical College of Alamance (1963–1988) Asheville–Buncombe Technical Community CollegeA-B TechAshevilleBuncombe Madison19,02319591963Asheville-Buncombe Industrial Education Center (1959–1963)Beaufort County Community CollegeBCCCWashingtonBeaufort Hyde Tyrrell Washington6,80019631967Beaufort County Extension Unit (1963–1967)Beaufort County Technical Institute (1967–1979)Bladen Community CollegeBCCDublinBladen3,01419671967Bladen Technical Institute (1967–1987)" />Blue Ridge Community CollegeBRCCEast Flat RockHenderson Transylvania10,97119691969Henderson County Technical Institute (1969–1970)Blue Ridge Technical Institute (1970–1979)Blue Ridge Technical College (1979–1987)Brunswick Community CollegeBCCSupply Brunswick6,20619791979Brunswick Technical College (1979–1988)Caldwell Community College & Technical InstituteCCC&TIHudsonCaldwell Watauga9,42119641964Caldwell Technical Institute (1964–1970)Cape Fear Community CollegeCFCCWilmingtonNew Hanover Pender22,96319581963Wilmington Industrial Education Center (1958–1963)Cape Fear Technical Institute (1963–1988)Carteret Community CollegeCCCMorehead CityCarteret5,63619631968Carteret Extension Unit (1963–1968)Carteret Technical Institute (1968–1979)Carteret Technical College (1979–1987)Catawba Valley Community CollegeCVCCHickoryAlexander Catawba12,70219601964Catawba Industrial Education Center (1960–1964)Catawba Valley Technical Institute (1964–1979)Catawba Valley Technical College (1979–1987) Central Carolina Community CollegeCCCCSanfordPittsboroBuies CreekChatham Harnett Lee15,81819611965Lee County Industrial Education Center (1961–1965)Lee County Technical Institute (1965–1979)Lee County Technical College (1979–1988) Central Piedmont Community CollegeCentral Piedmont (current)CPCC (former)CharlotteMecklenburg45,21519631963Merger of the Central Industrial Education Center (1959–1963) with Mecklenburg College (1961–1963, formerly Carver College from 1949 to 1961) Cleveland Community CollegeCCCShelbyCleveland9,70519651967Cleveland Extension Unit (1965–1967)Cleveland County Technical Institute (1967–1979)Cleveland County Technical College (1980–1987) Coastal Carolina Community CollegeCCCCJacksonville Onslow11,18319651970Onslow County Extension Unit (1963–1965)Onslow Industrial Education Center (1965–1967)Onslow Technical Institute (1967–1970)College of The AlbemarleCOAElizabeth CityCamden Chowan Currituck Dare Gates Pasquotank Perquimans7,69919601963 Craven Community CollegeCCCNew BernCraven8,28019681968Craven Extension Unit (1965–1968)Craven County Technical Institute (1968–1979) Davidson-Davie Community CollegeDDCCLexingtonMocksvilleAdvanceDavidson Davie11,65919631965Davidson County Industrial Education Center (1963–1965)Davidson County Community College (1965–2021)Durham Technical Community CollegeDTCC, Durham TechDurhamDurham Orange17,36919581965Durham Industrial Education Center (1958–1965)Durham Technical Institute (1965–1986)Edgecombe Community College(Edgecombe Technical Institute, until 1987)ECCTarboroRocky MountEdgecombe5,38219671967Edgecombe Technical Institute (1967–1987)Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeFTCCFayettevilleCumberland29,75519611963Fayetteville Industrial Education Center (1961–1963)Fayetteville Technical Institute (1963–1987)Forsyth Technical Community CollegeForsyth TechWinston-SalemForsyth Stokes20,08519591964Winston-Salem Industrial Education Center (1959–1960)Forsyth County Industrial Education Center (1960–1964)Forsyth Technical Institute (1964–1985)Forsyth Technical College (1985–1987)Gaston College - DallasLincolntonGaston Lincoln16,22019631965Formed by the 1965 consolidation of Gaston College (established as a community college in 1963) with the Gastonia Industrial Education Center (established 1959) and the Gaston Technical Institute (established 1952, formerly the Morehead City Technical Institute from 1947 to 1952). Absorbed the N.C. Center for Applied Textile Technology in 2005 (member of NCCCS from 1972, renamed in 1991 from the N.C. Vocational Textile School, which had been established in 1941)Guilford Technical Community CollegeGuilford Tech, GTCCJamestown Guilford28,23319581965Guilford Industrial Education Center (1958–1965)Guilford Technical Institute (1965–1983)Halifax Community CollegeHCCWeldonHalifax Northampton3,71719671967Halifax County Technical Institute (1967–1976)Haywood Community CollegeHCCClydeHaywood4,16319651967Haywood Extension Unit (unit of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Institution, 1965–1967)Haywood Technical Institute (1967–1979)Haywood Technical College (1979–1987) Isothermal Community CollegeICCSpindalePolk Rutherford5,41019641964Absorption by Isothermal Community College (established 1964) of the Rutherford Industrial Education Center (formerly the Rutherford Extension Unit established 1962) in 1965. James Sprunt Community CollegeJSCCKenansville Duplin4,39419641964Duplin County Extension Unit (1960–1963), branch of Wayne Technical Institute to 1964Johnston Community College(Johnston Technical College, until 1987)JCCSmithfieldJohnston12,01319691969Lenoir Community CollegeLCCKinstonGreene Jones Lenoir9,82819581963Martin Community CollegeMCCWilliamstonBertie Martin2,50819761976Mayland Community College(Mayland Technical College, until 1988)MCCSpruce PineAvery Mitchell Yancey3,22819701970McDowell Technical Community College(McDowell Technical College, until 1988)MTCCMarionMcDowell5,28519671967Mitchell Community College(Mitchell College, until 1973)MCCStatesvilleIredell8,60719171973Montgomery Community College(Montgomery Technical College, until 1987)MCCTroyMontgomery3,08219671967Nash Community College(Nash Technical College, until 1987)NCCRocky MountNash9,16519671967Pamlico Community College(Pamlico Technical College, until 1987)PCCGrantsboroPamlico1,50019621963Piedmont Community College(Piedmont Technical College, until 1987)PCCRoxboroCaswell