Brief History

Cañada College opened in 1968 as part of the three-school San Mateo County Community College District. The college is located on 131 acres in the western part of Redwood City and is conveniently located to Highway 280. The primary service area for the college is the southern portion of San Mateo County, Redwood City, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, Atherton, Portola Valley, La Honda, Woodside, Half Moon Bay, and Pescadero.

Cañada College is one of the smallest community colleges in the Bay Area enabling it to meet its mission of ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds achieve their educational goals by providing quality instruction in transfer and general education classes, professional/technical programs, and basic skills. The college has historically been rated as one of the best community colleges in Northern California in transferring students to four-year colleges and universities.

In 2001, Cañada College opened its University Center where students can earn bachelor's degrees in nursing, early childhood development, business administration, and liberal studies. The University Center also offers teaching credentials for elementary and secondary schools and an accelerated master's degree in business administration. Cañada College has the largest University Center in the California community college system.