Founded in 1968 to meet the postsecondary and continuing education needs of Cecil County residents, Cecil College has been serving the community and shaping its future for more than 50 years. The College is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the governor. The College’s fifth president, Dr. Mary Way Bolt, reports directly to the Board of Trustees.

Cecil College is centrally located in Maryland’s most northeastern county, just one half mile from Interstate 95. It is easily accessible from Philadelphia and Baltimore, as well as from Wilmington, Delaware.

With a diverse student population, Cecil College enrolls approximately 2,200 credit students and 2,300 non-credit students. Cecil College offers associate degrees, certificate programs, and non-credit classes.

Classes at the College are taught by qualified faculty and can be taken in a traditional classroom setting or online. Many students choose programs that can transfer to four-year institutions. Accelerated Studies for the Adult Professional is designed for the working adult who wants to earn an undergraduate degree while continuing to work full or part time.

Cecil College offers a variety of associate degree and certificate programs. In nursing, students can earn a certificate in practical nursing or an associate degree in nursing and transfer to a four-year institution for a bachelor’s degree. Business students can enroll in degree programs for accounting, management, or other subjects. Students can opt to earn an associate degree in supply chain management and transportation management. Computer information systems students can attain degrees and certifications in programming, while one degree and two certificates can be earned in equine studies. Visual communications degrees and certificates prepare students to pursue careers in fields such as photography, digital imaging, video production, graphic design, web design and web development. In the arts and sciences, the options include engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, and two performing arts degrees with areas of concentration. Along with performing arts, the College’s education degree programs are headquartered at Elkton Station, which opened in 2005.

Cecil College has formalized articulation agreements with public and private four-year institutions throughout Maryland and the United States to expedite the transfer process for Cecil College students and graduates. Articulation agreements provide course equivalency agreements and/or program to program transfer agreements, which minimize the risk of losing college credits when transferring to another institution. Numerous partnerships have been established in which students engage in a "3 +1" or "2 + 2" curriculum by taking their first three or two years of classes at Cecil College and the next year or two at a four-year college.

Students can also opt to take non-credit courses to upgrade their job skills or expand their personal horizons. Certifications are available for various health care careers such as medicine aide, paramedic, medical assistant, medical administrative assistant, phlebotomist, physician professional coder, and nursing assistant. In addition, students can earn computer certificates in a variety of areas, including technology for the office professional, office specialist, QuickBooks, or certified bookkeeper.

Through its open admissions policy, Cecil College provides learning opportunities for all who have the desire and ability to benefit from its courses and programs, regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic status.

Cecil College is a member of the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference in all sports and competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association. The College fields men’s teams in baseball, basketball, and soccer; women’s teams in basketball, softball, soccer, and volleyball. Numerous titles have been won by Cecil College, highlighted by the men’s basketball national championship in 2006.

Cecil College’s locations include the North East campus and Elkton Station. Classes are also offered at locations throughout the community.

The North East campus is the site of the Milburn Stone Theatre, the Cecil County Veterans Memorial Library, the Physical Education Complex, the Arts and Sciences Building, the Technology Center, and the Engineering and Math Building.

Elkton Station opened in 2005 and credit courses were offered at the site for the first time in the College’s history. This continues today, with a variety of course offerings and the site is home to programs in art, music, and teacher education. The facility also serves as the primary site for continuing education, community education and youth programs, as well as workforce development and transportation.

Accreditation

Cecil College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, meets the standards established by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and is authorized to grant the associate's degree. Cecil College’s accreditation was reaffirmed in 2020. Cecil College’s Associate of Science in nursing degree is approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Cecil College’s Associate of Applied Science in Physical Therapist Assistant is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Additionally, the Paramedic program, and the Medical Assistant program are both accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and approved by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) and the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB), respectively.

Students have the right to file a complaint with an institution’s accreditor. The contact information for filing complaints is as follows:

  • Middle States Commission on Higher Education
    1007 North Orange Street
    4th Floor, MB #166
    Wilmington, Delaware 19801
    (267) 284-5011
    www.msche.org
  • Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
    3390 Peachtree Road NE
    Suite 1400
    Atlanta, Georgia 30326
    (404) 975-5000
    www.acenursing.org
  • Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
    1111 North Fairfax Street
    Alexandria, Virginia 22314
    (703) 684-2782 or (800) 999-2782
    www.capteonline.org
  • Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
    9355 113th St. N, #7709
    Seminole, FL 33775
    (727) 210-2350
    mail@nullcaahep.org
  • Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP)
    8301 Lakeview Parkway
    Suite 111-312
    Rowlett, TX 75088
    (214) 703-8445
    coaemsp.org
  • Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB)
    2339 N. California Ave., #47138
    Chicago, IL 60647
    (312) 392-0155
    www.maerb.org