Jefferson Community College

Jefferson Community College is one of 64 campuses—and one of 30 community colleges—which comprise the State University of New York (SUNY) system; it is the only institution of higher education whose campus is within a 50 mile radius of the city of Watertown, NY. The College is supervised by the State University of New York and sponsored by Jefferson County. Its service area is largely rural, with agriculture and tourism the dominant industries. In 1985, the US Army posted the 10th Mountain Division at nearby Fort Drum, bringing some 30,000 new residents to the area and doubling the population of the Watertown metropolitan area. The Fort Drum area has experienced even more recent growth. The US Army has added 3rd and 4th Brigades to the 10th Mountain Division, bringing an additional 12,000 residents to the Watertown metropolitan area since 2003. The College offers 14 A.A.S. career curricula, 14 transfer A.A. or A.S. curricula, and 9 certificate programs. Six degree programs are available entirely online. To ease transfer, Jefferson has articulation agreements with colleges and universities across the United States, as well as two jointly registered programs (Business Administration and Liberal Arts—Childhood Education) with SUNY Potsdam. Additionally, through Jefferson’s Higher Education Center initiative, the College has partnered with several four-year institutions to provide opportunities for community members to earn numerous bachelor’s and master’s degrees locally.