About HCC

Mission

Highland Community College, the first college in Kansas, provides lifelong learning opportunities and contributes to economic development to enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve.

History

Highland Community College began as Highland University in 1858, making it the first college in Kansas.  After eight name changes, the college has now provided higher education opportunities to the people of Northeast Kansas for more than 165 years. The college has traditionally prepared students to continue their studies at baccalaureate institutions. Studies conducted at the Regents universities in Kansas show that students who begin their college careers at HCC and then transfer do as well or better academically as all other students who transfer to those universities and those who start there.

Approximately 4,000 students (1,699 FTE) are enrolled on the main campus (Highland), at regional centers in Atchison, Baileyville, and Wamego, through HCC Online, or concurrently at one of the 31 high schools in HCC’s nine-county service area. The main campus is located in a small, rural Northeast Kansas community surrounded by agricultural land. The main campus has 22 apartment-style residence halls, thriving athletics programs, and active student life. Across all of its locations, HCC offers 14 different Associate degrees and 16 technical certificates.

The history and mission of the college can best be described as providing opportunities for higher education that citizens in the region would not have had otherwise. Whether as a conduit to a four-year degree, for professional enhancement, or personal development, the college has provided affordable access to higher education in Northeast Kansas.

The college is governed by a six-member Board of Trustees elected from Doniphan County and is coordinated by the Kansas Board of Regents.

A Historical Snapshot

1857 - Highland Presbyterian Academy – Founded as part of the Presbyterian mission to area Indian tribes, the Academy was to prepare students for university work.

1858 - Highland University -- Chartered as the first college in Kansas, Highland University did not have the money, qualified teachers, or students with an adequate educational background to offer college level courses, so preparatory courses continued to be offered.  College level courses were offered beginning in 1870.

1910 - Highland College – There was not enough enrollment to be a true university. The Presbyterians dropped their support in 1913 due to financial pressures.

1921 - Highland Junior College – Continuing financial and enrollment challenges made a full four-year curriculum unaffordable, so the institution became a private junior college offering associate degrees.

1929 - Northeast Kansas Junior College – As part of an effort to help recruit more students and financial support from other communities in northeast Kansas, the name was changed to reflect the regional appeal. 

1937 - Highland Public Junior College – Through a special law passed in 1936, the Highland High School district was allowed to establish a public junior college. The College’s athletic teams were first called the Scotties.

1959 - Doniphan County Junior College – The local school district’s resources were not large enough to support a growing junior college.  The people of Doniphan County voted to assess themselves a mil levy to support the College. The number of students more than doubled between 1955 and 1964.

1965 - Highland Community Junior College – State legislation reorganized the community college system under Kansas State Board of Education, with local Boards of Trustees elected from within the counties where the colleges were located.  Funding provided from state credit hour support and local county mill levy. 

1980 - Highland Community College – Reflecting the growing role of community colleges in the state, the Legislature dropped the word “junior” from the name of all nineteen Kansas community colleges.