What Chattanooga State Community College is like

What it's like

Chattanooga State is a regional community college serving six Tennessee counties plus bordering areas of Georgia and Alabama. Founded in 1965 as Tennessee's first technical college, it operates as an open-entry institution with a distinctive dual mission: comprehensive two-year academic and career programs alongside an integrated Tennessee College of Applied Technology offering vocational diplomas and certificates. The college has built partnerships with regional employers—notably Volkswagen, which operates its only training academy outside 60 worldwide plants at the school—and cultural institutions. Athletics are central to campus identity, with teams competing for national championships in baseball, basketball, and softball.

Academic feel

The college maintains seven academic departments spanning business, engineering technology, humanities, math and sciences, nursing and allied health, and social and behavioral sciences, alongside the integrated TCAT. The curriculum balances college-parallel transfer pathways with occupational programs designed to meet regional industry needs. Special programs serve specific populations: the Plaza Communitaria prepares Hispanic immigrants for postsecondary study in partnership with the Mexican government; the AHEAD program supports displaced workers; and Middle College High School and Early College programs allow high school students to accelerate into college coursework. The main campus adjoins the Tennessee Riverwalk and includes a 103,000-square-foot Health Science Center opened in 2009.

Social life

Student life centers on extracurricular activities, leadership development, and sports. An amphitheater in the center of campus serves as the hub for informal entertainment and student interaction. The college's Professional Actor Training Program and music department produce theatrical and musical performances in the C.C. Bond Humanities Building. Athletics scholarships and national-competition teams provide pathways for student-athletes to transfer to four-year institutions. The college also hosts an Outdoor Museum of Art with sculptures by faculty, students, and internationally known artists.

What you should consider

Working-age and non-traditional students seeking affordable, accessible pathways into skilled trades or transfer-ready associate degrees. The open-entry admission policy welcomes students from a six-county service region plus bordering areas. Athletes competing at the junior college level, particularly those in baseball, basketball, and softball. High school students looking to accelerate their education or explore college while completing secondary study. Hispanic immigrant populations and displaced workers supported by specialized programs.

Strengths

• Integration of a Tennessee College of Applied Technology as part of the college structure, offering 21 diploma programs and 7 certificate programs with combined annual enrollment exceeding 2,300 students.[1]
• Unique partnership with Volkswagen to operate the Volkswagen Academy, the only such training facility outside 60 Volkswagen plants worldwide.[2]
• Lady Tigers softball team won the NJCAA Division I national championship in 2012, and the program has competed in the national tournament 16 times.[2]
• Men's and women's basketball teams won the NJCAA Region 7 championships in 2011 under Head Coach Jay Price, who was named men's basketball coach of the year by the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association in 2010.[2]
• Acquired the former Olan Mills corporate headquarters in 2006, adding 59,000 square feet and 40 acres to the campus for the Center for Business, Industry, and Health Professions.[2]
• Partnerships with cultural and educational organizations including a pilot program with the government of Mexico (Plaza Communitaria) to prepare Hispanic immigrants and the AHEAD program to serve displaced workers.[2]