• The Blue Ridge MountainsBlue Mountains image by Dawn from Fotolia.com
  
  Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville, N.C., provides a beautiful backdrop for a college education. The area also offers much to students with varied interests and goals. In addition to two major universities, Asheville is home to a large community college. Two more community colleges are within commuting distance of the city.
  
  

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

• Asheville-Buncombe celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009. The college, located in Asheville, is a two-year public community college with a 22-building campus stretched out over 144 acres. The school offers 53 associate degree programs, 65 certificate programs and 22 diplomas. The school splits its academics into five divisions: allied health, arts and sciences, business, engineering and technology, and learning resources. AB Tech was founded in 1959. Today, approximately 10,000 students attend the school. An additional 7,000 students are involved in continuing education courses offered through the college. AB Tech employs more than 150 full-time faculty members and nearly 500 part-time faculty. Approximately 50 percent of faculty members have graduate degrees or higher. The school has three campuses. In addition to the primary campus, the school has a one-building campus in Madison and a three-building campus in Enka.
  
  Asheville-Buncombe Tech
  340 Victoria Road
  Asheville, NC 28801
  (828) 254-1921
  abtech.edu
  
  

Haywood Community College

• This two-year community college is located just 20 miles west of downtown Asheville in the suburb of Clyde. From Asheville, commuters can reach Haywood via a quick drive west on Interstate 40. Haywood opened in 1965. Today, the school has a student population of more than 3,000, with more than 6,000 additional students attending continuing education classes. The campus is known for its beauty. Haywood offers associate degree and certificate programs in more than 50 areas of study. Associate degrees require approximately four to five semesters to complete. Certificate programs require only one to three semesters to complete. The school also offers associate degrees in fish and wildlife management. Professional crafts is a program that focuses students' skills into four areas: clay, fiber, jewelry and wood. The program builds both hands-on skills and the business skills necessary to make a craft career successful.
  
  Haywood Community College
  185 Freedlander Drive
  Clyde, NC 28721
  (828) 627-2821
  haywood.edu
  
  

Blue Ridge Community College

• Located 20 miles south of Asheville in Flat Rock, Blue Ridge Community College is a two-year community college that serves Henderson and Transylvania counties. The college, founded in 1969, offers more than 90 programs, including more than two dozen associate degrees. The programs are split among four areas: allied health, business and service careers, applied technology and transfer programs. The transfer programs are designed to accommodate the needs of those students who desire to continue their education at a four-year school. The school's enrollment includes approximately 2,500 students. Of those, more than 50 percent are seeking associate degrees.
  
  Blue Ridge Community College
  180 W. Campus Drive
  Flat Rock, NC 28731
  (828) 694-1700
  blueridge.edu