Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) provides accessible, high-quality education and workforce training that prepares students for successful careers, continued education and greater economic opportunity. Since opening its doors in 1998, BRCC has grown into a comprehensive community college serving students throughout the Capital Region and across Louisiana.
Strategic Plan
BRCC’s 2023–2028 Strategic Plan provides the framework for the College’s continued growth and commitment to student success, academic excellence, workforce development and service to the community.
View the 2023–2028 Strategic Plan
2025–26 Chancellor’s Impact Report
BRCC’s 2025–26 Chancellor’s Impact Report highlights a transformative year for the College. BRCC generated more than $300 million in annual economic impact, supported more than 4,500 local jobs and completed $50 million in capital projects, while 98% of BRCC graduates live and work in Louisiana.
The report highlights record enrollment and graduation milestones, investments in healthcare and skilled-trades education, expanded transfer and workforce pathways, student and faculty accomplishments, and partnerships that are strengthening the Capital Region and Louisiana.
View the 2025–26 Chancellor’s Impact Report
A Story of Growth
Baton Rouge Community College was established as part of a 1994 Desegregation Settlement Agreement between the State of Louisiana and the U.S. Department of Justice. The College officially opened its doors on August 20, 1998, with an anticipated enrollment of approximately 700 students. Instead, 1,866 students enrolled in BRCC’s first semester, demonstrating an immediate demand for an accessible community college serving the Capital Region.
That demand continued to grow. By 1999, BRCC was already expanding to serve an increasingly diverse student population, including traditional and nontraditional students, first-generation college students, working adults and students seeking career and technical training.
As enrollment increased, BRCC expanded its facilities, academic offerings and student services to meet the educational and workforce needs of the Baton Rouge region.
Building a Strong Academic Foundation
BRCC’s early academic programs included Liberal Arts, General Studies and Science, along with applied science programs designed to prepare students for both transfer and employment. The College earned full accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in 2004.
As the needs of students and regional employers evolved, so did BRCC. The College added an associate degree nursing program in 2007 and continued expanding programs in healthcare, construction management, technology, the arts and other high-demand fields.
Expanding Education and Workforce Opportunity
Over the years, BRCC has grown beyond its original academic offerings to become a comprehensive community college providing university-transfer education, career and technical programs, workforce training, adult education and dual enrollment opportunities.
Programs have continued to evolve alongside Louisiana’s workforce needs, with expanded opportunities in areas such as nursing and allied health, process technology, construction management, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, information technology and skilled trades.
BRCC has also developed partnerships with schools, universities, employers and community organizations to create clearer pathways from education to employment and continued study.
Growing Across the Capital Region
What began as a single community college has developed into a multi-location institution serving students throughout the Baton Rouge area and beyond. BRCC provides instruction and services at locations in Baton Rouge, including Mid City, Acadian, Central and Ardendale, as well as locations in Jackson, Port Allen and New Roads.
The College’s facilities have grown along with its programs. In August 2025, BRCC opened the 93,000-square-foot Baton Rouge Community College | Our Lady of the Lake Health Nursing & Allied Health Building. The state-of-the-art facility has capacity to serve 1,500 students and brings BRCC’s Nursing & Allied Health programs together under one roof.
BRCC has also expanded hands-on training opportunities in the skilled trades through projects such as the Capital City Construction Lab and the launch of a Plumbing Apprenticeship Program.
BRCC Today
Today, Baton Rouge Community College serves more than 18,000 students annually across more than 100 academic, technical and workforce programs. The College continues to grow while remaining focused on providing accessible education and training that prepares students for successful careers, continued education and economic opportunity.
In Fall 2025, BRCC welcomed a record 2,722 first-year students. In May 2026, the College celebrated more than 4,000 graduates and completers from the Summer 2025, Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters, including a record number of technical education graduates and more than 200 dual enrollment students earning associate degrees.
From its first class of 1,866 students to the thousands of students it serves today, BRCC’s history reflects continued growth and transformation in response to the needs of its students, employers and communities.