LaGuardia Community College is a public community college located in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. It is a sector of the City University of New York and was founded on January 22, 1967, in response to a question that asks, “What if we made CUNY’s founding principle – opening the doors of higher education to all – a reality?”. It was a school that primarily catered to its surrounding community. Founders strived to create a learning space that enriched New York City residents no matter their background, race, class, or age. Officially opened on September 22, 1971, and receiving its first accreditation from the Middle States Association in December 1972, CUNY LaGuardia Community College now offers both associate degrees and certificates for prospective students. There are currently over 50 majors in Business and Technology, Liberal Arts, Health, Math, and Science, which allows students to choose from a wide array of courses, making it grounds for an exceptional learning environment. Not only this, LaGuardia Community College also provides students with affordable tuition with options for scholarships and grants. According to their website, 45% of their students are more likely to transfer to a four-year institution compared to other community colleges on a national scale. Some transfers occur at selective schools such as Stanford, Brown, Columbia, NYU, Cornell, and Vassar.
Currently, LaGuardia Community College has the largest English as a Second Language (ESL) program in New York City, which is one of its most attractive attributes. They make an active effort to train their students for jobs in high-growth areas, which include healthcare, technology, advanced industrial and manufacturing. From their pioneering programs to their CUNY Pathways to Degree Completion Structure, they work hard at preparing thousands of students to earn a high school equivalency diploma, get into a four-year institution of their dreams, and work toward a promising career path.
Based on CUNY LaGuardia Community College’s most recent data, 23,264 students enrolled in Fall 2021. The total credit enrollment was 14,913, and the non-credit enrollment was 8,351. LaGuardia Community College students came from 145 different countries and spoke 77 different languages. The majority of the degree students are under 23. In 2021, 58% of students identified as female and 42% as male. Around 47% of the student population identifies as Hispanic, 22% as Asian, 18% as Black, 12% White, and 1% other.
Since 1977, the F.H. LaGuardia Community College Alumni Association has been an integral part of the landscape. It is stated as a not-for-profit organization that encourages cultivating quality education, social activity, and good fellowship amongst graduates. With thousands of active members, some of them are quite notable. For example: Elly Gross (Holocaust Survivor, Poet/Author), Ruben Diaz Jr. (Bronx Borough President), Reby Sky (Professional Wrestler), Rudy Washington (Deputy Mayor under Rudolph Guliani), Jeffery Archer (Disk Jockey), and Barbara Zucker (Former Sculptor).
Currently, there are four academic buildings on CUNY LaGuardia Community College’s campus. First, The C Building is located on the far west end of campus between 29th and 30th Street near the Queensborough Bridge approach. The B Building, meanwhile, is between 30th Street and 30th Place, right across from the C Building. At the east end of campus are the adjacent Joseph Shenker Hall/Main Building/M Building and the E/East Building. These two buildings are on 31st Street and Van Dam Street. Finally, the Middle College High School Campus is situated at the far east end of campus near the M and E buildings. The building is home to two public high schools affiliated with the college, Middle College High School and International High School.
Being in the heart of Long Island City, there are a lot of landmarks and things to do to explore surrounding LaGuardia Community College. Here are a few of them.
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