Becoming CT State

In 2017 the Board of Regents for Higher Education, the governing body for Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, announced its decision to merge the state’s 12 community colleges into a single institution.

A New Approach to Higher Education

On July 1, 2023, Connecticut’s community colleges will complete their consolidation into Connecticut State Community College – CT State. With the launch of CT State, students will have an opportunity for a new higher education experience – one whose foundations are built on over 60 years of academic excellence and student success.

CT State will provide a cohesive community college experience for the state’s residents who wish to attain a degree or certificate in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree or entry into the workforce. With 12 campuses across Connecticut, CT State will be the signature provider of higher education opportunities in Connecticut, educating more than 60,000 credit and non-credit students a year.

Academic Excellence

Teams of faculty have worked for the past several years to develop consistent curricula in all areas of study, and students will be able to move among campuses and know that their classroom experience will be of the highest quality, delivered by the finest faculty in the state.

The programs and majors found in CT State’s six schools – arts and humanities, business and hospitality, engineering and technology, nursing and health careers, science and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences – not only meet the workforce needs of that state but provide prospective students with the career and life goal choices they need to be successful and fulfilled.

A student’s course of study can be full-time or part-time and, when coupled with the CSCU Transfer Ticket program, can result in the most affordable associate and bachelor’s degrees in the state.

An Intentional Path

Built on the nationally-recognized Guided Pathways model, CT State will help students efficiently complete credentials, transfer, and attain jobs with value in Connecticut’s market. Whatever a student’s end goal, an assigned Guided Pathways advisor will partner with a student from enrollment to graduation, with the focus on the successful achievement of their objectives.

Those students who plan on completing an associate degree and then transferring to one of the state universities – Central, Eastern, Southern or Western – or Charter Oak State College – can do so through the CSCU Transfer Tickets, without incurring extra expense or requiring extra credits.

Support and Learning Outside the Classroom

Scaling exemplary student support practices from across the 12 campuses will provide students with the lifelines they need to achieve their educational goals. The campuses will continue to offer a wide range of student support services, ensuring each student’s academic success, whether they are just starting their educational journey or returning to upskill or change careers.

A Commitment to Community

CT State will continue to offer a full array of non-credit programs and classes - including those for personal and professional development, and for youth and senior citizens – at its campuses.

Lectures, readings, concerts, intramurals and other student and community enrichment activities will be offered, as well.

We Are CT State

Formed via a collaborative approach that included faculty, staff, and administrators, CT State’s mission and vision reflect the overarching goals of providing excellent higher education and lifelong learning to all students, maintaining affordability and accessibility, and contributing to the economic growth of the state.

Nowhere else in the US has such an ambitious revisioning of higher education taken place.