College of Alameda (CoA) is one of the four accredited Peralta Community Colleges. The Peralta Community College District, primarily serving the residents of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Piedmont, was established in 1964 by a vote of the residents establishing a single community College District. The new District was named after Sergeant Luis Maria Peralta, who was granted 44,800 acres in August 1820. All four Colleges are comprehensive community colleges and offer career education and liberal arts programs.
College of Alameda opened in 1970 after two years of offering classes in the historic Alameda High School on Central Avenue in downtown Alameda. The College is located on a 62-acre campus at the corner of Webster Street and Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway in the city of Alameda. The College Aviation Maintenance Technology program is located on a 2.5-acre site on Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda, adjacent to the Oakland International Airport North Field. The College science classes and laboratories are offered at 860 Atlantic Avenue in Alameda.
The College, including two off site facilities, is conveniently located on bus routes and is accessible by car from Oakland through the Posey tube or by the Park Street and High Street Bridges between Oakland and Alameda.
College of Alameda is a publicly supported, two-year community college offering moderate to low cost higher education opportunities for students. The College unique career education programs make it a magnet for students from the greater Bay Area seeking regional living wage careers. Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Science (AS) degrees are offered in liberal arts and career education, with most credits earned transferable to University of California, California State University and other public and private four-year colleges and universities.
College of Alameda is a small college with intimate classes. College of Alameda students have the opportunity for increased student engagement with fellow students and instructors to enhance student learning and achievement. The College provides many opportunities for students to become involved in campus life including on campus work opportunities, campus wide events, learning communities and the associate student body.
The College is committed to its community, which consistently demonstrates support with the approval of construction bonds. Since 1970, community passed construction bonds contributed to College improvements in the buildings and land and the creation of a baseball field, track, and tennis courts. Measure A, passed in 2006, funded the New Liberal Arts building and Measure G will fund a Transportation, Technology Complex, a new Science and Administration building and will support other building upgrades. College learning is supported by Measure B, a parcel tax, passed in June 2012 to expand educational offerings by the Colleges.
College of Alameda maintains a strong relationship with the city of Alameda. The College leases the baseball field, soccer field, track and tennis courts to community organizations. The College Fabrication Lab (Fab lab) provides learning opportunities for students and community members. The Alameda Unified School District, Science and Technology Institute (ASTI), an early College high school, operates on the campus supporting co-enrollment of students with college classes.