Affordable Education and Local Careers. The Mendocino College Conversation.

Not every student chooses a four-year university, and for those who do, the cost often means taking on overwhelming debt. That’s why Mendocino College is committed to keeping high-quality education affordable while preparing students for good-paying, in-demand local jobs like firefighters, healthcare workers, EMTs, and skilled trades like construction.

For years, we’ve proudly trained our community’s first responders and partnered with local high schools to give graduating seniors a strong start; whether they’re headed to a university or launching a career. Students can get there without the burden of crushing debt.

But our campuses are facing challenges. With aging classrooms, labs, and facilities, growing program demand, and the need for updated career training technology for programs like nursing and firefighting, it’s getting harder to provide the modern, hands-on training that helps students gain skills and move into better-paying jobs.

At a time when the cost of attending a California public university is at least six times higher than community college, more students and families are turning to Mendocino College to save tens of thousands of dollars while earning valuable degrees, credits, certifications, and career skills.

That’s why we’re reaching out. We want to hear directly from you, the community we serve,  about what matters most for the future of Mendocino College.

Take our short community survey today!

Invite us to your next meeting if you’re part of a civic or community group, we’d be happy to attend and hear your input. Contact Kelly Keyes at kkeyes@mendocino.edu. 

Together, we can strengthen Mendocino College and create more opportunities for our community. 

Join the Conversation

Planning for the Future of Affordable Education and Local Careers

  1. FAQs
  2. Community Update

Q: Who does Mendocino College serve?
A: Mendocino College serves nearly 120,000 residents and thousands of businesses across a region that is over 3,200 square miles. With campuses in Ukiah, Lakeport, Willits, and Fort Bragg, we provide affordable higher education, whether students are pursuing career training or transferring to a four-year university, while meeting our region’s fire safety, healthcare, EMT, and skilled trades workforce needs.

Q: Why is Mendocino College important to the community?
A: We save local families thousands of dollars by offering an affordable alternative to costly four-year universities. Our programs give students real-world skills, provide college credits for high schoolers, and pathways to good-paying local jobs, or transfer opportunities to 4-year universities, without crushing debt.

Q: How does Mendocino College help address the healthcare crisis?
A: Rural communities like ours face severe shortages of nurses, EMTs, and firefighters. To meet this need, we must modernize aging classrooms and labs, especially in our Fort Bragg and Willits campuses, so that even more students can train locally and stay to serve our communities. Partnerships Adventist, Sutter, Mendocino Community Health Clinic, and other hospitals will train first responders and nurses, stretching taxpayer dollars further while training our community to save lives.

Q: What about jobs outside healthcare?
A: Our Willits campus will train students in firefighting, solar installation, and sustainable construction, and fields that are vital to our community. We plan to expand these programs to prepare more workers for good-paying careers in renewable energy, construction, and fire/public safety.

Q: Doesn’t Mendocino College repair its facilities?
A: Yes, but many buildings are more than 40 years old and were not constructed to provide career technical education and job training. They need upgrades to meet today’s safety, accessibility, and technology standards, and provide specialized labs needed for today’s nursing, firefighting, and emergency response training.

Q: What are the community’s top priorities for Mendocino College?
A: A recent community survey identified top community priorities for Mendocino College including:

  • Strong fiscal stewardship and transparency
  • Ensuring our clean drinking water supply
  • Repairing leaky roofs
  • Removing any mold, asbestos, or lead paint
  • Providing classrooms for programs training wildland firefighters and Firefighter Academy
  • Repairing labs and classrooms to train nurses, physical therapy assistants, and Emergency Medical Technicians
  • Ensuring schools are accessible for people with disabilities

Q: What’s next?
A: As we update our Facilities Master Plan, we’re exploring options to address urgent health and safety and job training needs at all 4 of our college campuses. As a member of the community we serve, your input is essential.

Q: How can I help?
A: Share your priorities and join the conversation! Complete our community survey.