Orange Coast College

In the suburban setting of Costa Mesa, Orange Coast College is located just minutes from the gorgeous beaches of Orange County and 20 minutes from Disneyland. Although the college was first established in 1948 with an opening day enrollment of only 500 students, OCC has since grown into one of the state's largest community colleges with more than 29,000 students enrolling each semester. More than 97 percent of incoming students are residents of California. Currently, the college ranks as the 1st community college in Orange County for the number of students transferring to the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems after graduation. Over just the past decade, more than 16,000 graduates from OCC have furthered their education at four-year California institutions.

Through some of the finest facilities outfitted with high-tech computer equipment, Orange Coast College offers over 130 academic and vocational programs accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). In particular, OCC is noted for being home to one of the largest and most acclaimed public nautical programs in the United States at the Orange Coast College School of Sailing and Seamanship. Offering training in all aspects of sailing, the School enrolls 5,000 students of diverse ages and backgrounds to its classes, seminars, and voyages.

Although there is no on-campus housing available on campus, Orange Coast College still has many active student clubs, competitive sports teams, and a highly involved Student Government representing the student body. Also known as Pirate Pulse, OCC has distributed nearly 5,000 copies of the Coast Report newspaper throughout campus each Wednesday since 1948. Orange Coast College Pirate Athletics offers intercollegiate teams through the Orange Empire Conference for baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo.

The OCC mission is to provide affordable quality higher education in licensed trades and skilled professions, as well as transferable lower-division courses for students who plan to achieve a bachelor's degree or beyond in the California public university system. Out of more than 5,000 community colleges in the United States, Orange Coast College ranks as the 65th in awarding the most associate's degrees. Notable past Pirates include comedian Blake Anderson, NFL player Eddie Johnson, reality show personality Audrina Patridge, model Kenda Perez, fashion designer Paul Frank, and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Steve Timmons.