# Mission College

> Mission College is a public community college in Santa Clara, in the heart of Silicon Valley, part of the West Valley-Mission Community College District. Founded in 1975, it offers associate degrees, university-transfer pathways, career and technical certificates, ESL and noncredit courses to a diverse, largely working-adult student body. Through its Mission Promise program it offers free tuition to district residents and wraps students in support services - food, childcare, mental-health counseling and more - to remove the barriers that keep people from finishing.

- **Founded:** 1975
- **Headquarters:** Santa Clara, California, United States
- **Founders:** Warren Sorenson (Founding President (appointed 1976))
- **Team size:** Approximately 1,000 employees (faculty and staff)
- **Products:** Associate Degrees & Transfer Pathways, Career & Technical Education, Mission Promise / Free Tuition, ESL & Noncredit / Adult Education, Apprenticeships & Job Training
- **Notable:** Accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges., Offers free tuition to district residents through the Mission Promise program., Serves a student body that is roughly 80% students of color, one of the most diverse in the region.

## Products & services

- **Associate Degrees & Transfer Pathways** — Associate degrees and Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) in arts, sciences, business and more, with guaranteed transfer routes into the CSU and UC systems.
- **Career & Technical Education** — Certificate and degree programs in fields such as nursing, engineering, computer science, hospitality management, culinary arts and firefighting.
- **Mission Promise / Free Tuition** — Free tuition for residents of the West Valley-Mission Community College District, paired with free childcare, healthcare access and student support.
- **ESL & Noncredit / Adult Education** — English as a Second Language, basic skills and noncredit courses serving immigrant and adult learners.
- **Apprenticeships & Job Training** — Work-based apprenticeships and job-training programs developed with local Silicon Valley employers.
- **Student Support Services** — Food pantry, mental-health counseling, NextUp foster-youth and Umoja programs, veterans resource center, disability support, and resources for undocumented and first-generation students.

## Achievements

- Accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
- Offers free tuition to district residents through the Mission Promise program.
- Serves a student body that is roughly 80% students of color, one of the most diverse in the region.
- Operates an on-campus food pantry and comprehensive wraparound support services.
- More than 100 degree and certificate programs spanning liberal arts to applied sciences.

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Continued expansion of the Mission Promise free-tuition program and wraparound student support services for district residents.
- **2025-09** — Marked roughly 50 years since the college opened its interim campus in September 1975.

## Links

- Website: https://missioncollege.edu
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/go2missionsc/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/go2MissionSC
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrOJK_vuxVApm9PzyoVuHDA
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/go2missionsc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/go2MissionSC/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mission-college
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-02