Norco College, opened in 1991, and proudly serving the communities of Norco, Corona, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Temescal Valley, and surrounding communities, is a College in the Riverside Community College District, which has been providing high quality, affordable higher education and job training in Riverside County for over 100 years.

The cost of attending California’s public universities continues to rise and is now more than six times that of attending a community college.

But as our original Norco College buildings age, and enrollment, and program needs increase, we are struggling to maintain the quality education at an affordable price, on which our local students, families, and over 6,000 local Veterans rely.

Norco College provides excellent training that prepares students to transfer to UC and Cal State schools to complete their bachelor's degrees and allow local high school students to get a jump start on earning college credit by taking college courses before they even graduate, without having to travel to the Riverside City College campus. Our programs rely on up-to-date facilities to continue to offer this caliber of education while saving families money on the first few years of college.

Norco College proudly contributes to the training of the next generation of local nurses, paramedics, firefighters, and police officers. Our students, including over 6,000 veterans, rely on Norco College to get the job training, technical knowledge and specialized skills they need to compete for good-paying, modern careers.

However, many Norco classrooms and training facilities, lack the space and up-to-date learning technology that students need to be prepared for careers in science, technology, engineering, art, math and computer science, so local students must wait to complete a program or travel to other colleges with long waiting lists.

At this time, funding does not exist to upgrade and expand classrooms with IT systems, equipment and career training facilities to keep pace with current industry standards and technology our local students need to earn college credits, certifications, and job skills at an affordable price, or transfer to four-year colleges and universities without generating crushing debt. Additionally the dedicated Veterans’ center to assist local veterans, many of whom have recently returned from war zones, needs additional support to help Veterans facing challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder and permanent disability.

Norco College, in collaboration with the Riverside Community College District, is engaging in a needs assessment at each campus to ascertain what each campus needs, in advance of the District's upcoming budget planning.

Yes. The District has initiated community outreach. Your local neighbors identified priorities for the Riverside Community College District, including:

• Preparing students for good jobs
• Improving access to affordable higher education
• Providing safe drinking water
• Removing asbestos and lead paint
• Repairing deteriorating gas/sewer lines
• Ensuring college buildings continue to meet earthquake and safety regulations
• Upgrading campus safety, including campus lighting and for emergencies such as active shooters
• Upgrading and equipping campuses and labs for training nurses, paramedics, firefighters police officers and other healthcare/safety professionals
• Ensuring Moreno Valley and Norco campuses get their fair share

We want to hear from you! For more factual information, visit the Affordable Quality Education page and provide your priorities for our local community colleges. If you are a member of a civic organization and would like the College to present at your next meeting, feel free to contact Norco College's Office of the President by phone at (951) 372-7016 or by email at president@norcocollege.edu.