Northern Marianas College is a Land Grant Institution that is accredited by the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association for Schools and Colleges. Founded in 1981, its focus continues to be ensuring student success and meeting the higher education and vocational training needs of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. With campuses on Saipan, Rota, and Tinian, the College has developed a comprehensive set of academic programs and services that address the social, cultural and economic development needs of its island communities. Today, students are enrolled in credit programs that lead to an associate or bachelor’s degree in the following areas: education (with concentrations in early childhood education, elementary education, rehabilitation and human services, and special education), business, liberal arts, natural resource management, nursing, business administration (with emphases in accounting, business management, and computer applications), criminal justice, and hospitality management. In response to local labor force needs, the College launched a new bachelor’s degree program in business management in 2014. In addition to its credit programs, the College also offers many noncredit, continuing education courses that are offered in various formats (online, short-term, accelerated, etc.) Since the College’s establishment, more than 20,000 people have enrolled in degree and certificate courses, over 3,000 students have been awarded certificates and/or degrees in programs offered or coordinated by NMC; and more than 12,000 individuals have been served in the community through such programs as the Adult Basic Education, Continuing Education, and the Cooperative, Research, Extensions, and Education Service (CREES). The institution recently graduated its largest class in May, 2015, with over 165 degrees conferred.
