What Taft College is like

What it's like

Taft College is a public community college in California's San Joaquin Valley with a regional, locally-rooted student body. About half of enrollees are Hispanic, nearly half are age 24 or younger, and the vast majority commute from Kern County. The college has distinguished itself by offering rare campus housing for a community college and hosting specialized programs like dental hygiene and the Transition to Independent Living Program for students with developmental disabilities. Its mission emphasizes basic skills development and career pathways, whether to immediate employment or transfer to four-year institutions.

Academic feel

The college organizes academics around several divisions: Mathematics and Science; Social Sciences; Business, Arts, and Humanities; and Career Technical Education. It offers Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees alongside targeted certificates. Transfer is a central pathway—graduates completing designated programs are prepared to move into California State University and University of California systems. The college houses California's largest single-site child care facility on campus, which serves both as a training ground for Early Childhood Education students and a working lab school. A notable program is the Transition to Independent Living (TIL) Program, which trains young adults with developmental disabilities in independent living skills. Dental Hygiene has been a consistent offering since 1993, and the college runs an associated public clinic.

Social life

Student life centers on campus organizations, clubs, and publications including a student newspaper (Black Gold) and literary magazine (A Sharp Piece of Awesome). The Associated Student Body serves as the official student governing organization. Two honor societies operate on campus: Phi Theta Kappa and the National Society of Leadership and Success. About 200 students live in on-campus residence halls, though the majority commute. The college had historically strong athletics, particularly football, though programs were eliminated in 1994 due to budget cuts; some have since been restored.

What you should consider

Students seeking affordable access to higher education in the San Joaquin Valley, first-generation and transfer-track students, working adults (nearly half the population is age 24 or older), and students from Kern County seeking pathways to the CSU and UC systems. The college explicitly serves students with developmental disabilities through its TIL Program and disability services noncredit offerings. Career-minded students benefit from strong CTE and health programs, including welding, dental hygiene, and engineering pathways.

Strengths

• Offers rare on-campus housing among California community colleges, with two residence halls accommodating about 200 students.[1]
• Operates the largest single-site child care facility in the California Community College system, supporting both Early Childhood Education training and community childcare needs.[2]
• Provides the Transition to Independent Living Program, a specialized training program for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.[2]
• Offers dental hygiene degrees and a public clinic, operating this specialized program since 1993.[2]
• Accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges as part of the California Community Colleges system.[1]