About MPC

President's Welcome

Welcome to Monterey Peninsula College – your world-class college by the bay!

A vibrant institution of higher learning, Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) offers exceptional educational opportunities at our campus in Monterey, our Education Center at Marina, our Public Safety Training Center in Seaside, and online.

With a high-quality education, you can transform your personal and professional life. Whether your goal is to get a head start on your college education, earn a certificate or an associate degree, transfer to a four-year university, update your skills, train for a new career, or enrich your personal life, MPC can help you achieve it.

Our excellent and caring faculty, staff, administrators, and board of trustees are dedicated to promoting and supporting your success. In addition to our outstanding academic programs, MPC offers comprehensive supportive resources and specialized programs to help you gain the tools you need to succeed. Concerned about paying for college? We can help you navigate the wide array of scholarships and financial aid available to MPC students, including the Monterey Peninsula College Promise. Interested in enriching your college experience? Engage with our multitude of student organizations and cultural, artistic, and athletic programs and events. At MPC, education doesn’t end in the classroom.  

Wherever you are on your educational path, MPC will help you take the next step toward success. I look forward to seeing you on campus!

— Dr. Marshall T. Fulbright III, Superintendent/President


Bienvenidos

Bienvenidos al Colegio de la Península de Monterey— ¡Tu colegio de nivel mundial en la bahía!

Un colegio vibrante de educación, el Colegio de la Península de Monterey (MPC) ofrece oportunidades excepcionales de educación en nuestras localidades en Monterey, Centro Educativo de Marina, Centro de Entrenamiento de Seguridad Pública, y en línea.

Con una educación de alto nivel, tú puedes transformar tu vida personal y profesional. Si tu meta es avanzar tu educación, recibir un certificado, un diploma asociado, transferirte a una universidad, mejorar tus habilidades, recibir entrenamiento para una nueva carrera, o enriquecer tu vida personal, MPC está aquí para ayudarte a obtenerlo.

Nuestros excelentes y solidarios profesores, empleados, administradores, y la mesa directiva están dedicados a promover y apoyar tus logros.  Además nuestros excelentes programas académicos, MPC también ofrece recursos comprensivos y programas especializados para apoyarte a cumplir tus metas. ¿Te preocupa cómo pagar tus costos de matriculación?  MPC te puede ayudar a navegar y aplicar para becas y ayuda financiera disponible para nuestros estudiantes. ¡También tenemos la promesa del Colegio de la Península de Monterey! ¿Te gustaría enriquecer tu experiencia académica? Te puedes involucrar con nuestras multitudes de organizaciones estudiantiles o programas artísticos, culturales o eventos de atletismo.  En nuestro colegio la educación no termina en la clase.

En lo que necesites, MPC te ayudará a tomar el siguiente paso a tu éxito. ¡Espero verte en nuestro colegio próximamente!

— Dr. Marshall T. Fulbright III, Superintendent/President

Mission Statement

Monterey Peninsula College (MPC)  provides our community with a safe environment that supports students with diverse academic, career, and personal goals. MPC ensures that all students have equitable access to the courses, programs, opportunities, and mentorship essential to their success. We help students acquire the skills and knowledge needed to become critical thinkers and engaged members of society.  

-Adopted by the Governing Board, April 23, 2025.

Vision Statement  

MPC is a statewide leader in higher education by creating and cultivating educational opportunities and support services that ensure our students can achieve their goals and become leaders in an increasingly connected and complex society. 

Values Statements  

  1. Social Justice: We are committed to resisting and disrupting systems of oppression that marginalize individuals and communities based on their racial, ethnic, and social identities. We strive to maximize inclusivity and representation for all groups in our community while advancing greater academic and economic equity. 
  2. Excellence: Self-reflection and commitment to continuous improvement are the foundations of excellence in our programs and services. We encourage students to believe that their abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed through effort, learning, and persistence. 
  3. Student-Centered: We support every student on their personal growth and academic development journey. MPC provides responsive support for all students’ needs in order to help students set and achieve ambitious goals.
  4. Integrity: Our words and actions demonstrate our commitment to ethical behavior, honesty, transparency, accountability, mutual respect, compassion, and professionalism.
  5. Community: We build strong, collaborative relationships on our campus and within our community that are fundamental to our productivity and effectiveness. 
  6. Sustainability: MPC fosters a culture of stewardship to ensure successful management of our present commitments while ensuring the capacity of future generations to fulfill their needs as well.  

Accreditation Information

Monterey Peninsula College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the U.S. Department of Education

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
428 J Street, Suite 400 
Sacramento, CA 95814
(415) 506-0234
www.accjc.org

Monterey Peninsula College is approved by:

  • The California State Department of Education for the enrollment of Veterans
  • The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)
  • Appropriate courses, as identified, accepted for transfer by the University of California and the California State University

Specialized or Program-specific Accreditation or Approval

The following MPC programs have specialized or program-specific accreditation or approvals:

Monterey Peninsula Community College District

Monterey Peninsula College is a public community college of the

Monterey Peninsula Community College District
980 Fremont Street
Monterey, California 93940-4799
www.mpc.edu

Serving the population included within the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, Carmel Unified School District and Pacific Grove Unified School District.

Governing Board of Trustees 2025-2026

  • Trustee Rosalyn Green - Area 1
  • Trustee Yuri Anderson, Chair - Area 2
  • Trustee Libby Downey - Area  3
  • Trustee Dr. Celia Barberena, Vice Chair - Area 4
  • Trustee Anita Crawley - Area 5
  • To be appointed - Student Trustee

MPC History

Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) commenced its operation in September of 1947 on the campus of Monterey High School, holding classes from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. During this first year, 97 acres of land were purchased on Fremont Street. The following September, classes opened in converted barracks buildings with 280 students and 20 faculty members.

The campus was originally designed for approximately 1,000 students, but by 1957 the enrollment had approached this figure and it was evident that new buildings were necessary. The engineering building was constructed in 1958, the library in 1960, and the art and music center and swimming pool in 1962.

The College separated from the Monterey Union High School District in 1961 and became a separate junior college district serving with this reorganization, the Carmel Unified School District and the Pacific Grove Unified School District became part of the Peninsula-wide junior college district.

The student population as well as the need for additional classrooms continued to grow. In 1965, the building program was renewed, and the “temporary” buildings of 1948 were replaced with new buildings for business, humanities, life sciences, physical education, physical sciences, and social sciences. The Lecture Forum, the College Theater, and the Student Center were part of this campus renewal.

In 1971, the College recognized the need to meet the educational needs of the communities residing in the north side of its service area, comprised primarily of Marina and Seaside. During this time, Fort Ord was in full operation; therefore, the residents in these two communities consisted mostly of service personnel and their families.

From 1971 to 1993, the College operated an education center at Fort Ord in cooperation with the U.S. Army, mainly for the benefit of armed forces personnel and their families. After the closing of the base, the Fort Ord Re-Use Authority (FORA) was formed to administer and oversee the distribution of the former Fort Ord property to various state, county and local agencies, including Monterey Peninsula College. Several properties have been conveyed to Monterey Peninsula College, including

  • a parcel on 12th Street in Marina (now the Education Center at Marina),
  • a parcel on Colonel Durham Street in Seaside (now the Public Safety Training Center),
  • Parker Flats, and
  • the MOUT (Military Operations on Urban Terrain).

In 1982-83, Monterey Peninsula College was selected as the site for the Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing, established with a grant from the Maurine Church Coburn Charitable Trust. The school is operated, in part, with support from the Community Hospital Foundation. During August 1988, the engineering building was remodeled with funds from the Community Hospital Foundation to house the School of Nursing. In 1999, further remodeling of this building was completed, and the second floor of the International Center was remodeled to meet office and classroom space needs.

Monterey Peninsula College has enjoyed tremendous support from its residents, as evidenced by the $145 million bond approved by local voters in November 2002 and the $230 million bond approved in November 2020, to address the college's facilities needs.

Monterey Peninsula College is part of California’s public community college system of 116 campuses in 73 districts across the state. It is a comprehensive community college that responds to the educational, cultural, and recreational needs of the community, insofar as its resources permit. The College serves the communities of Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel Valley, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Presidio of Monterey Annex, Sand City, and Seaside. Monterey Peninsula College classes are held on the Monterey campus, at the Education Center at Marina, at the Public Safety Training Center in Seaside, and at off-campus locations.