| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year community college, the only one in Philadelphia; classes on campus, hybrid and online |
| Campuses | 4, all in Philadelphia, PA: Main Campus, Career & Advanced Technology Center, Northeast Regional Center and West Regional Center |
| Students | About 18,710 credit and 4,013 noncredit students in 2024-25 (college Key Facts) |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AA, AS, AAS), Academic and Proficiency Certificates, and noncredit workforce certificates; 119 credit programs in the 2026-27 catalog |
| Program length | From a 50-hour pharmacy technician course to two-year associate degrees |
| Tuition 2026-27 | $174 per credit for Philadelphia residents, $348 for other Pennsylvanians, $522 from outside Pennsylvania, plus fees |
| Accreditation | Middle States Commission on Higher Education; reaffirmed 22 June 2023, next self-study evaluation 2030-31 |
| Federal aid | Yes; about 60% of students receive Pell Grants |
| Founded | 1964; classes began in 1965 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Philadelphia’s public community college
Community College of Philadelphia is the city’s only public community college. It was founded in 1964, began teaching in 1965, and is run by a Board of Trustees that sets tuition, with funding from the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth. Its 2026-27 catalog lists 119 credit programs, from transfer associate degrees to career degrees and short Proficiency Certificates, and a separate noncredit catalog covers workforce courses such as welding, nurse aide training and massage therapy. In 2024-25 it taught about 18,710 credit students and 4,013 noncredit students, and about two-thirds study part time. Health programs are taught mainly at the Main Campus on Spring Garden Street, and transportation, manufacturing and entry-level health training at the Career & Advanced Technology Center on Market Street, opened in 2022.
Career programs across the four campuses
The college awards AA and AS degrees, mostly for transfer; AAS degrees, which are career degrees; Academic and Proficiency Certificates; and, through its professional development office, noncredit workforce certificates that are priced per course rather than per credit. Programs marked selective in the catalog have their own admission requirements. The table covers the main career programs; most college program pages do not say which campus teaches them, so a dash in the Where column means the college does not say.
| Program | Credential | Length and schedule | Where | Accreditation or exam | Published cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (Traditional, Accelerated, Advanced Placement for LPNs and medics) | AAS, 64 credits | 2 years; accelerated track about 14 months from May | Main Campus, West Building | ACEN; NCLEX-RN | Per credit (see costs) |
| Diagnostic Medical Imaging (radiography) | AAS, 73 credits | 24 months from July, summers included | Main Campus, West Building | JRCERT; ARRT radiography | Per credit (see costs) |
| Dental Hygiene | AAS, 83 credits | 24 consecutive months | Main Campus, West Building | CODA; NBDHE and CDCA | Per credit (see costs) |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | AAS, 63 credits | 18 months to 2 years (college pages differ) | Main Campus, West Building | NAACLS; ASCP BOC MLT | Per credit (see costs) |
| Respiratory Care Technology | AAS, 70 credits | 22 consecutive months | Main Campus, West Building | CoARC; NBRC CRT/RRT | Per credit (see costs) |
| Medical Assistant | Proficiency Certificate, 27 credits | As little as 2 semesters | Northeast (fully on site) | Exams not named; no CAAHEP or ABHES listed | Per credit (see costs) |
| Medical Insurance Billing | Proficiency Certificate, 27 credits | – | – | Exam not confirmed | Per credit (see costs) |
| Personal Training | Certificate, 27 credits | – | – | ACSM CPT or comparable | Per credit (see costs) |
| Nurse Aide Training | Noncredit, 128 hours | Weekday, evening and weekend cohorts | Career & Advanced Technology Center | Pennsylvania nurse aide exam (Credentia) | $1,630 incl. one exam attempt (2026) |
| Pharmacy Technician Training with Externship | Noncredit, 50 hours | Optional volunteer externship | Career & Advanced Technology Center, or online | PTCB CPhT or NWCA PTAC | $1,525–$2,562 in person; $1,299 online (2026) |
| Massage Therapy | Noncredit certificate, 600 hours | Mon–Thu 9 am–4 pm, 21 Sep 2026 – 24 Apr 2027 | Northeast Regional Center | MBLEx | $7,900 + $35 application fee |
| Automotive Technology | AAS, 62 credits | 2 years | Not stated (the auto shop is at the Career & Advanced Technology Center) | ASE Education Foundation status not confirmed | Per credit (see costs) |
| Toyota T-TEN | AAS, 70 credits | 2 years, incl. 640 internship hours | Career & Advanced Technology Center | 2 ASE certifications required to graduate | Per credit (see costs) |
| Medium & Heavy Truck Technology | AAS, 61 credits; Proficiency Certificates I and II | 2 years (AAS) | Career & Advanced Technology Center | ASE T1–T8; no CDL | Per credit (see costs) |
| Structural Welding / Welding Technology | Noncredit, 300 hours | Evenings, Mon–Thu 5–9 pm, 14 Sep 2026 – 3 Feb 2027 | Career & Advanced Technology Center | NCCER-aligned; no certificate named | $6,000 |
| Electro-Mechanical Technology (industrial maintenance) | Noncredit certificate, 480 hours | Mon–Thu 9 am–4 pm, 5 Oct 2026 – 23 Mar 2027 | Career & Advanced Technology Center | Festo Industry 4.0 Level 1, NC3 | Not yet set |
| Construction Management | AAS, 63 credits | – | Not stated | – | Per credit (see costs) |
| Culinary Arts | AAS, 64 credits; Proficiency Certificates I and II | – | Main Campus, Pavilion | ACF-certified | Per credit (see costs) |
| Law & Paralegal Studies | AAS, 60 credits; Proficiency Certificates | 9 specialty credits in person or live remote | – | ABA-approved | Per credit (see costs) |
| Cybersecurity & Networking; CIS – Information Technology; Web & Mobile Application Development | AAS (web and mobile: 65 credits) | – | – | – | Per credit (see costs) |
| American Sign Language/English Interpreting | AAS, 67 credits | 2 years; in person, hybrid and online, with fieldwork | – | Works toward RID certification | Per credit (see costs) |
| Early Childhood Education | AA (NAEYC); Proficiency Certificate | – | Online or hybrid | – | Per credit (see costs) |
| Accounting | AAS; Paraprofessional and Post-Baccalaureate certificates | – | Online; Northeast | – | Per credit (see costs) |
| Project Management; Data Science | Proficiency Certificates, 18 and 19 credits | – | – | PMI CAPM (project management) | Per credit (see costs) |
Programs with their own accreditation include nursing (ACEN, next visit spring 2027), diagnostic medical imaging (JRCERT), medical laboratory technician and phlebotomy (NAACLS), respiratory care (CoARC), dental hygiene (CODA), law and paralegal studies (ABA approval), culinary arts (ACF) and the Birth–4th Grade early childhood AA (NAEYC). The ASE Education Foundation accreditation for automotive is shown on the college’s own table as due for renewal on 1 January 2024, and we could not confirm its current status. The college has no practical nursing (LPN) program, and its 2026-27 catalog lists no physical therapist assistant, surgical technology, sonography, EMT/paramedic or game-design program: its only game credential is the Video Game Audio certificate, which teaches sound design.
What the main programs cover
Nursing
Nursing is taught in the West Building on Spring Garden Street. Applicants must be at least 18, hold a GPA of 2.75 or higher and take the Kaplan pre-nursing test, and Traditional-track applications close on 31 January for a September start. Clinical placements are with Philadelphia health agencies and can fall on evenings or weekends, which matters for students who work. Degree holders can choose the accelerated track that begins in May, and LPNs, corpsmen and medics enter through a fall transition course before joining the spring sequence.
Diagnostic Medical Imaging
Diagnostic Medical Imaging trains radiographers in a full-time cohort that starts each July. The class begins each July and moves through eight back-to-back semesters, summers included, with no break between them, in the Main Campus West Building. The program’s JRCERT disclosure reports that 19 of the 20 students in the 2023 class completed. Admission is selective, and applicants should plan for two years of full-time study without a summer break. The college’s catalog has no sonography program, so students interested in ultrasound need another school.
Toyota T-TEN
Toyota T-TEN is a sponsored program: before admission, applicants must secure an internship offer from a Toyota or Lexus dealership and pass an interview, and seats are capped. The 70-credit degree includes 640 internship hours, and students must pass two ASE certifications (from A1–A8 or L1) to graduate. Students without a dealership sponsor can take the 62-credit Automotive Technology AAS or the Automotive Service and Alternative Fuels certificates, which cover carbon-based fuels and EV and hybrid systems. The program is based at the Career & Advanced Technology Center.
Medium and heavy truck technology
Medium & Heavy Truck Technology began in 2023 and is based at the Career & Advanced Technology Center. It can be taken as two Proficiency Certificates, the first covering inspection, maintenance and minor repair and the selective second covering truck service technology, or as the 61-credit, two-year AAS. The program is aligned with the ASE Education Foundation and prepares students for the eight ASE medium/heavy truck tests, T1 to T8. It trains technicians to service trucks, not to drive them, and offers no CDL course.
Electro-Mechanical Technology
Electro-Mechanical Technology is a 480-hour noncredit certificate in industrial maintenance at the Career & Advanced Technology Center. It covers electricity, mechanisms, fluid power, programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and robotics, and works toward the Festo Industry 4.0 Level 1 and NC3 credentials. The next class meets Monday to Thursday, 9 am to 4 pm, from 5 October 2026 to 23 March 2027. It trains for factory and plant equipment, not building maintenance or HVAC. The college also lists noncredit CNC machining, advanced manufacturing and certified production technician courses.
Tuition and fees for 2026-27
On 12 March 2026 the Board of Trustees approved the college’s first tuition increase in nine years: from fall 2026 the Philadelphia rate rose from $159 to $174 per credit (up 9.4%), and the other rates from $318 to $348 and from $477 to $522. Fees stayed the same. The Philadelphia Inquirer linked the rise to flat state funding and $54 million in contract costs over four years.
| Residency (2026-27) | Tuition per credit | Capital fee | General College + Technology fees | All-in per credit | 30 credits (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia residents | $174 | – | $34 | $208 | $6,240 |
| Other Pennsylvania residents | $348 | $10 | $34 | $392 | $11,760 |
| Students from outside Pennsylvania | $522 | $20 | $34 | $576 | $17,280 |
Other charges in the 2026-27 catalog are $35 per online or hybrid course section, course fees of $85 to $345 for some courses, a one-time $60 new-student processing fee, a $30 late registration fee and a $50 tuition deposit for Allied Health programs. The 30-credit totals above leave out these charges and books. Noncredit workforce courses have their own prices, listed in the programs table; massage therapy and welding offer payment plans. Niche, using federal data, shows an average net price of $11,148 a year (checked October 2026).
Paying for it: Pell Grants and the Catto Scholarship
The college takes part in federal student aid, and about 60% of its students receive Pell Grants. Its own Octavius Catto Scholarship covers tuition and fees left after federal grants, plus course materials, and adds up to $1,600 a semester for food, transport and books. Students qualify if they have lived in Philadelphia for at least 12 months, study full time (12 or more credits), are new students, transfers with 30 or fewer credits or returners after a year away with a 2.0 GPA, have a Student Aid Index of $8,000 or less, and are college-ready or one level below in English and math. There is no separate application, and an alternate process exists for undocumented students. Veterans can use the Veterans Resource Center in the Bonnell Building on the Main Campus. The online pharmacy technician course is not eligible for scholarships.
Admissions and schedules
Admission to the college is open, but many health and technical programs are selective and take separate applications: nursing (2.75 GPA, Kaplan test, 31 January deadline), dental hygiene (2.50 GPA, Allied Health testing, age 18), diagnostic medical imaging, medical laboratory technician, respiratory care, Toyota T-TEN (dealership internship offer and interview), ASL/English interpreting and music performance (audition).
Most allied-health programs run as fixed full-time cohorts: diagnostic medical imaging for 24 months from July, respiratory care for 22 months and dental hygiene for 24. Noncredit trades run fixed day or evening blocks, such as evening welding and weekday electro-mechanical and massage classes, and nurse aide training has a weekend cohort. Seven degrees can be completed fully online: Accounting, Business – General, English, Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts – Social/Behavioral Science, Psychology and Religious Studies. The Early Childhood Education AA is online or hybrid, and the Accounting Paraprofessional, Early Childhood Education, Entrepreneurship and Post-Baccalaureate Accounting certificates are online. Some math finals must be taken in person on campus. We could not confirm whether the college takes part in SARA, so students outside Pennsylvania should ask before enrolling in an online program.
Accreditation and results
Community College of Philadelphia is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. MSCHE reaffirmed its accreditation on 22 June 2023, after a self-study and an on-site visit in March 2023, and the next self-study evaluation is scheduled for 2030-31. The commission lists no warning, probation or show-cause order. Since then, MSCHE staff have made routine requests for supplemental information: in November 2023 on student achievement, acknowledged in March 2024, and in January 2025 on student achievement and full-time equivalent enrollment, acknowledged in June 2025. The last sanction, a warning on the assessment of student learning in 2014-15, was removed on 3 March 2016.
First-time NCLEX-RN results for the Nursing AAS, from the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing’s 2024-25 five-year report as summarized during our research; the three years that also appear on the college’s nursing page match it:
| Year (1 Oct – 30 Sep) | Tested | Passed | First-time pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 127 | 114 | 89.76% |
| 2021-22 | 131 | 105 | 80.15% |
| 2022-23 | 149 | 129 | 86.58% |
| 2023-24 | 120 | 108 | 90.00% |
| 2024-25 | 127 | 117 | 92.13% |
In August 2026 the National League for Nursing named the program a 2026 Center of Excellence, one of 20 nationally and one of two community colleges, according to the college. Other published results:
| Program or measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing completion | 34.8%, 65%, 76% | 2022 (a cohort that started during COVID), 2023, 2024; nursing program page |
| Nursing job placement | 100% of survey respondents | 2022 to 2024; respondents only |
| Diagnostic Medical Imaging, ARRT first attempt | 100% (70 of 70) | 2019 to 2023, no test takers in 2022; JRCERT disclosure, not updated past 2023 |
| Diagnostic Medical Imaging, job placement | 63 of 63 within 12 months | 2018 to 2022; JRCERT disclosure |
| Massage Therapy, MBLEx | 86.4% (national average 64%) | 2022; course page |
| Dental Hygiene boards | 96% to 100% | 2017-18 to 2020-21; college pass-rate page, no counts |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | 85% to 100%; 100% in 2021-22 | College pass-rate page, ends 2021-22 |
| Respiratory Care | 90.5%, 89.5%, 85.7% | 2018-19 to 2020-21 (100% in earlier years); college pass-rate page |
| Where 2024 graduates work | 69% employed in Philadelphia County; 24% employed in the Philadelphia metro area | College Key Facts; the base is not stated |
| Graduation rate (whole college) | 28% | Federal data as shown on Niche, checked October 2026; cohort not shown |
The college’s pass-rate page has not been updated since 2021-22, and its institutional research dashboards were offline when we checked, so current results for dental hygiene, medical laboratory technician and respiratory care are not available here. Niche’s rendering of federal data (checked 7 October 2026) also shows 87% employed one year after graduating and median earnings of $45,114 five years after graduating. We found no lawsuit, settlement, state action or accreditation sanction against the college from 2023 to 2026.
What changed from 2022 to 2026
- 2022: the Career & Advanced Technology Center opened at 4750 Market Street, replacing the college’s old West Philadelphia auto shop.
- 2023: the Medium & Heavy Truck Technology program was created; MSCHE reaffirmed the college’s accreditation on 22 June.
- March 2025: the faculty and staff union, AFT Local 2026, reached new contracts hours before a planned strike on 26 March, with raises over four years and class sizes cut by four students.
- March 2026: the board approved the first tuition increase in nine years, effective fall 2026.
- August 2026: nursing was named a 2026 NLN Center of Excellence.
- Closed: the Northwest Regional Center on West Godfrey Avenue is listed by the college as currently closed; we could not find when it closed or whether it will reopen.
Before you enroll
- There is no practical nursing (LPN) program. The only nursing degree is the RN-level Nursing AAS; LPNs, corpsmen and medics can enter it through advanced placement.
- Most program pages do not say which campus a program is taught at. Ask before you apply, especially for the Automotive Technology AAS, Construction Management and the certificates listed without a site.
- Some program names promise more than they deliver for a first job. Fire Science is for working and volunteer firefighters seeking promotion and does not include Firefighter I training; Facilities Management and Construction Management teach management, not hands-on trades; and the Real Estate certificate “supports preparation” for the salesperson exam, but we could not confirm that it meets Pennsylvania’s 75-hour pre-licensing requirement.
- Several published results are old: the college’s pass-rate page stops at 2021-22 and the radiography disclosure at 2023. Ask the program for its latest pass and placement figures.
- The low price is for Philadelphia residents. Other Pennsylvanians pay $392 per credit with fees and students from outside Pennsylvania $576, and the Catto Scholarship is only for Philadelphia residents.
Career help and student support
We found no campus housing at any of the four sites. The Career Services Center is in the Center for Business and Industry on the Main Campus, and Catto Scholarship students also get coaching, career workshops and internship opportunities. Hands-on placements are built into several programs: clinicals in nursing, patient care in the on-campus dental hygiene clinic, the 640-hour Toyota dealership internship in T-TEN, the optional pharmacy technician externship and fieldwork in ASL/English interpreting.
What students say on Niche
On Niche, Community College of Philadelphia has an average of 3.75 out of 5 from 1,122 reviews (checked 7 October 2026). We could not read the review text this time, so we do not summarize what reviewers praise or criticize; the reviews cover the whole college, not particular programs or campuses.
Sources
Checked 7 October 2026: MSCHE accreditation status · 2026-27 catalog, degree and certificate programs · 2026-27 college costs · Campus locations · Key Facts · Nursing AAS · Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing NCLEX-RN results · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health Sciences (credit)
- Nursing AAS (RN): Traditional, Post-Baccalaureate Accelerated and LPN/Corpsman/Medic Advanced Placement tracks
- Diagnostic Medical Imaging (Radiography) AAS
- Dental Hygiene AAS
- Medical Laboratory Technician AAS
- Respiratory Care Technology AAS
- Medical Assistant (Proficiency Certificate)
- Medical Insurance Billing (Proficiency Certificate)
- Patient Service Representative (Proficiency Certificate)
- Personal Training (certificate)
- Health Services Management
- Health Care Studies AA
- Public Health AA
- Community Health & Wellness (Proficiency Certificate)
- Clinical Trial (Proficiency Certificate)
Health Careers (noncredit)
- Nurse Aide Training (128 hours, Career & Advanced Technology Center)
- Pharmacy Technician Training with Externship (50 hours; in person or online)
- Massage Therapy (600 hours, Northeast Regional Center)
- Clinical Medical Assisting
- National Entry-Level Dental Assistant (hybrid)
- Personal Trainer National Certification (hybrid)
- American Red Cross BLS/CPR
Automotive, Truck and Manufacturing
- Automotive Technology AAS
- Toyota T-TEN AAS
- Medium & Heavy Truck Technology AAS
- Medium & Heavy Truck Proficiency Certificates I and II
- Automotive Service I and II (Proficiency Certificates)
- Advanced Automotive Repair Professional (Proficiency Certificate)
- Alternative Fuels: Carbon-Based; EV & Hybrid (Proficiency Certificates)
- PennDOT Safety Inspection Mechanic; Emissions Inspector (noncredit)
- Structural Welding / Welding Technology (noncredit, 300 hours)
- Electro-Mechanical Technology, Industrial Maintenance (noncredit, 480 hours)
- CNC Precision Machining Technology; Advanced Manufacturing; Certified Production Technician (noncredit)
Engineering, Construction and Facilities
- Construction Management AAS
- Facilities Management AAS (Construction or Design concentration)
- Applied Engineering Technology AAS
- Electrical Engineering Technology AAS
- Biomedical Equipment Technology AAS and Proficiency Certificate I
- Engineering AS (transfer)
Business, Hospitality and Culinary
- Accounting AAS
- Accounting Paraprofessional (Proficiency Certificate)
- Post-Baccalaureate Accounting (Proficiency Certificate)
- Business – General AA; Business – Accelerated AA
- Business Leadership AAS and Proficiency Certificate
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Proficiency Certificate, online)
- Project Management (Proficiency Certificate)
- Data Science (Proficiency Certificate)
- Real Estate (Proficiency Certificate)
- Insurance; Social Media Marketing; Corporate Social Responsibility (Proficiency Certificates)
- Fashion Merchandising & Marketing AAS and Proficiency Certificate
- Tourism & Hospitality Management AA and Proficiency Certificate
- Culinary Arts AAS
- Culinary Arts I and II (Proficiency Certificates)
Computers and IT
- Computer Information Systems – Information Technology AAS
- Cybersecurity & Networking AAS
- Cybersecurity (Proficiency Certificate)
- Network & Systems Administration (Proficiency Certificate)
- Web & Mobile Application Development AAS
- Web Development; Mobile Application Development (Proficiency Certificates)
- Computer Programming (Proficiency Certificate)
- GIS (Proficiency Certificate)
- Computer Science AS (transfer)
- Front-End and Back-End Software Developer bootcamps; CompTIA A+; Computer Support Specialist; Google Career Certificates (noncredit)
Law, Public Safety and Human Services
- Criminal Justice AAS
- Digital Investigations; Restorative Justice (Proficiency Certificates)
- Law & Paralegal Studies AAS (ABA-approved)
- Paralegal Studies; Electronic Discovery (Proficiency Certificates)
- Fire Science AAS and Fire Science & Public Safety (Proficiency Certificate), for working firefighters
- Behavioral Health/Human Services AAS
- Addiction Recovery (Proficiency Certificate)
- Human Services (Academic Certificate); Human Services Leadership (Proficiency Certificate)
- American Sign Language/English Interpreting AAS
- ASL/English Interpreting I and II (post-baccalaureate Proficiency Certificates)
Education
- Early Childhood Education (Birth–4th Grade) AA
- Early Childhood Education (Proficiency Certificate, online)
- Middle and Secondary Education AAs
- Special Education AA
- Child Development Associate (noncredit)
Arts, Media and Design (mostly transfer)
- Art and Design AA
- Photography AAS and Proficiency Certificate
- Digital Video Production AAS and Proficiency Certificate
- Digital Storytelling (Proficiency Certificate)
- Interior Design AA
- Architecture AA; Architectural Visualization (Proficiency Certificate)
- Music Performance AA
- Sound Recording & Music Technology AAS
- Music Production; Piano Technician (Proficiency Certificates)
- Video Game Audio (Proficiency Certificate)
- Theater AA; Acting; Technical Theater (Proficiency Certificates)
Campus Locations
Philadelphia, PA 1700 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Philadelphia, PA 4750 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139
Philadelphia, PA 12901 Townsend Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154
Philadelphia, PA 4725 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139