Located in the Albemarle region of northeastern North Carolina is the College of the Albemarle (COA). This small community college’s main campus is located in Elizabeth City, and its two satellite campuses are located in Manteo and Edenton. As part of the North Carolina Community College System, the College of the Albemarle services student from Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank and Perquimans counties. The College of the Albemarle provides the local community with education, training, and retraining opportunities, through economic development partnerships with local governments, businesses and industries.
Local interest in establishing a community college in Elizabeth City, NC began with a special committee appointed by the Elizabeth City Chamber of Commerce. By 1960 the College of the Albemarle became the first college chartered by the statue under the Community College Act of 1957. When the school opened its doors in 1961 it offered a College Transfer program to its 113 students. The first COA graduates left in 1963.
Today amongst its campuses the College of the Albemarle serves more than 2,400 students. The COA offers associate in arts, associate in fine arts, associate in general education, and associate in science degrees from its agricultural & natural resources, biological & chemical technologies, business technologies, commercial & artistic production technologies, construction technologies, engineering technologies, health sciences, industrial technologies and public service technologies programs of study. As a member of the North Carolina Community College System, the College of the Albemarle is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
In addition to college transfer and associate degree programs, the COA offers corporate and continuing education programs and courses in exciting areas like real estate brokerage, welding, notary public, nurse’s aide, conversational languages, cake decorating, watercoloring and many more. Adult learners may also select from GED, and ESL English as a Second Language classroom courses of study, and a range of online learning options.
The main campus, located in Elizabeth City, is set on 75-acres along U.S. Highway 17 North. The campus’s six major buildings house classrooms, laboratories, a bookstore, the student center, the Learning Resources Center, a lecture auditorium, learning lab the COA Auditorium, the Technology Center , the Basic Skills Lab, the Health Sciences Center and administrative and faculty offices. Elizabeth City is a small town with a population of around 20,000 and is located about 45 miles southwest of Norfolk, Virginia and 163 miles east of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Most Popular Fields of Study
The top 5 fields of study completed at College of the Albemarle.
The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges maintains an “open door” admissions policy, and the College of the Albemarle follows suit. To qualify for acceptance all prospective students must have earned a high school diploma or high school equivalency like the GED. Although COA practices open door admissions, the basic law enforcement training, cosmetology, practical nursing, associate degree nursing, LPN-AND mobility, and nursing assistant programs of study all have limited enrollments, and applicants should expect that admission to these programs will be competitive.
Prospective students may fill out the COA application online, or, may pick up or print a PDF copy to mail to COA admissions. International students are welcome to apply and student visa assistance is available. In order to qualify for in-state tuition students must be able to demonstrate at least 12 months of North Carolina state residency.
Financial Aid
All students who wish to apply for financial aid should contact the College of the Albemarle Scholarships and Student Aid Office to inquire about the range of federal aid, loans, grants and work-study options available to students. Students may also qualify for special in-state aid like the North Carolina Nurse Education Scholarship Loan Program, the North Carolina Nurse Scholars Program, the North Carolina Student Incentive Grant Program, the North Carolina Community College Grant Program, the North Carolina Community College Loan Program and College of the Albemarle Short-Term Loan Program and the North Carolina Education Lottery Grant.
Students at the College of the Albemarle have many student and campus services available to them, including but not limited to counseling services, disability support services, the Educational Opportunity Center, Student Support Services tutoring, a student bookstore and academic advising. The COA has an active Student Government Association, and is home to the Edenton-Chowan Collegians in Action, and Phi Theta Kappa. Students on the various campuses are active in a range of other clubs and organizations like the Basketball Club, the Book Club, the Professional Arts Club, the Practical Nursing Club, the Spanish Club and the Surgical Tech Club.
Although students may obtain student housing information from the Admissions Office or other campus resources, the College of the Albemarle does not provide any dormitory or other housing facilities. As a commuter campus, it is particularly important that students stay involved with their peers and classmates via non-credit activities, organizations and clubs.
Student Enrollment Demographics
How many students are enrolled at College of the Albemarle?
The College of the Albemarle’s navy blue and orange Dolphins participate in National Junior College Athletic Association Division II inter-collegiate sports. Currently the COA Dolphins field a men’s baseball team and women’s soccer team. Recreational basketball and soccer clubs have been started at the Elizabeth City campus location.
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Elizabeth City, NC 27906-2327
p. 252-335-0821
w. www.albemarle.edu