50+ Years of Excellence in Education
The Mendocino-Lake Community College District was formed in September 1972 by vote of the citizens of the Anderson Valley, Laytonville, Potter Valley, Round Valley, Ukiah, and Willits Unified School Districts. Planning for the development of the initial offerings of the College occurred in the Spring of 1973, with the first classes offered in July 1973.
Expansion of the District to include the Lake County Districts of Upper Lake, Kelseyville, and Lakeport occurred by vote of the citizens on November 5, 1974. The new District boundaries, established in July 1975, encompass 3,200 square miles of service area. In 1981 the name of the District became Mendocino-Lake Community College District to better reflect the geographical area being served.
Our new Library/Learning Center at the main campus in Ukiah opened its doors to students in time for fall classes in August, 2012. Designed and constructed at a cost of $28 million, the Library/Learning Center was built as a result of community support through Measure W. The building includes a spacious library with an extraordinary view, a learning center, the Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) program, a disabled resource center and a new language lab, all equipped with the latest technology.
The grand opening in spring of 2013 of the $15 million Mendocino College Lake Center located on 31 acres at 2565 Parallel Drive was followed up by the North County Center opening in the fall of 2013 located at 372 East Commercial Street in Willits. Both centers provide new and exceptional facilities and enhanced educational opportunities for the residents of our region.
In 2015, Mendocino College and College of the Redwoods finalized an agreement to have the Mendocino-Lake Community College District provide educational and support services at the Fort Bragg campus, which College of the Redwoods had previously operated. In 2017, the transfer of land and services to Mendocino College became official, with Mendocino College acquiring the Coast Center.
In 2022, to meet the continuing needs of the community and our students, the college completed a mile long secondary emergency access road connecting the Ukiah campus to Orr Springs Road.
Through support of grant funds and the Round Valley School District, in 2025, the college was able to invest in an educational building on the high school property to serve K-12 students and the Covelo community at large.
Again, in 2025, leveraging regional funding the college was able to remodel a significant portion of the VocTech Building to support the expansion of the automotive technology program in hybrid/electric vehicle technology. This was the first major remodel of the building since its opening in the 1980’s.
A historic milestone was reached in Spring 2025 with the purchase, through the support of the Mendocino College Foundation, of a parcel of land in Ukiah for future student housing. The college is researching all funding mechanisms to make this dream a reality. Current project details can be found at https://www.mendocino.edu/student-housing.