View source for Cerritos College

{{Short description|Community college in Norwalk, California, US}}
{{Primary sources|date=May 2014}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox university
| name = Cerritos College
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| image = Cerritos College seal.png
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| type = [[Public college|Public]] [[community college]]
| established = {{Start date and age|1955|df=yes|p=y}}
| closed = 
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| accreditation = [[Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges]]
| endowment = 
| budget = $102 million<ref name="Annual Yearbook 2016-17" />
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| chairman = 
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| chancellor = 
| president = Jose Fierro<ref name="Quickfacts" />
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| academic_staff = 292 (full-time) <br /> 847 (part-time)<ref name="Quickfacts" />
| administrative_staff = 956<ref name="Quickfacts">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cerritos.edu/public-affairs/_includes/docs/2018/fact_sheet_2_2018.pdf|title=Facts at a Glance|website=Cerritos College|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
| students = 22,731 (2016–17)<ref name="Annual Yearbook 2016-17">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cerritos.edu/insight/_includes/docs/InSight2017%20Annual%20Report.pdf|title=2016–2017 Annual Report|website=Cerritos College|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
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| address = 
| city = [[Norwalk, California]]
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| country = U.S.
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| coordinates = {{Coord|33.8857|-118.0946|display=inline,title|format=dms|type:edu_region:US-CA}}
| campus = [[Metropolitan area|Metropolitan]], {{convert|135|acre|ha|1}}
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| colors = {{color box|#002E66}} {{color box|#ffffff}} Blue & white<ref name="Quickfacts" /><ref name="Graphics">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cerritos.edu/public-affairs/graphic-standards/|title=Cerritos College Public Affairs – Graphic Standards|website=Cerritos College|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
| sports_nickname = [[Falcon]]s
| sporting_affiliations = [[California Community College Athletic Association]] <br /> [[South Coast Conference (CCCAA)|South Coast Conference]] <br /> Southern California Football Association<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cerritosfalcons.com/landing/index|title=The Official Website for Cerritos College Athletics|website=Cerritos College|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
| mascot = Franco the Falcon<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cerritos.edu/activities/about-us/mascot/mascot.htm|title=ASCC MASCOT|website=Cerritos College|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
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| website = {{URL|https://www.cerritos.edu}}
| logo = Cerritos College logo.png
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}}

[[File:Cerritos College MCIS 1.jpg|thumb|Cerritos College MCIS building]]
[[File:Cerritos College Norwalk California.jpg|thumb|right|Entrance to Cerritos College]]
[[Image:CerritosFalconStadium.jpg|thumb|Falcon Stadium in 2008]]

'''Cerritos College''' is a [[Public college|public]] [[community college]] in [[Norwalk, California]]. It offers degrees and certificates in 87 areas of study in nine divisions.

== History ==
The college was founded in 1955. It was named after [[Rancho Los Cerritos]], a local ranch in the 19th century. In turn the college was part of the inspiration for the renaming of the neighboring city of Dairy Valley to [[Cerritos, California|Cerritos]]. The district covers Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Norwalk, La Mirada, and Hawaiian Gardens.

Originally, classrooms were rented in the now defunct [[Excelsior High School (Norwalk, California)|Excelsior High School]] in September 1956.<ref name="cerritos">{{cite web|url=http://cms.cerritos.edu/uploads/Insight/In%20Sight,%20Volume%204.pdf|title=Cerritos College : Insight Newsletter|website=Cms.Cerritos.edu|access-date=October 3, 2017}}</ref> On July 24, 1957, the Cerritos Junior College District won the case against Dairy Valley (now [[Cerritos, California|Cerritos]]) to use the undeveloped land as an educational site.<ref name="cerritos"/> In September 1959, the college moved from Excelsior High School to the current site.<ref name="cerritos"/>

== Organization and administration ==
The founder was Ralph Burnight of Redlands, a resident of Bellflower and superintendent of the Excelsior School District. The current college president is Jose Fierro.

== Campus modernization ==
On February 15, 2017, the school opened two new buildings: a new Math and Computer Information Sciences building, and a Fine Arts complex. Together, the new facilities cost over $55 million and were funded by Measure G bond dollars.<ref name="cerritos_release2017">{{cite web|url=https://www.cerritos.edu/releases-2017/02/MCIS-FA.htm|title=Cerritos College : Releases 2017 Newsletter|website=Cms.Cerritos.edu|access-date=October 3, 2017}}</ref>

== Housing ==
On June 11, 2020, Cerritos became the first California community college to have housing for students without a place to live or with uncertain housing.<ref name ="Housing">{{citation |url= https://ktla.com/news/local-news/cerritos-college-opens-states-first-housing-development-for-students-facing-homelessness/amp/| title= Cereitos college opens state's first housing development for students fig homelessness| date= June 11, 2020|publisher= KTLA}}</ref>

==Athletics==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0 0 1em 1em;"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Cerritos College Falcons|Men's sports|Women's sports}}
|-
| Baseball || Basketball
|-
| Basketball || Cross Country
|-
| Cross Country || Soccer
|-
| Football || Softball
|-
| Soccer || Swimming & Diving
|-
| Swimming & Diving || Track & Field
|-
| Track & Field || Volleyball
|-
| Water Polo || Water Polo
|-
| Wrestling || Wrestling
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Student demographics as of Fall 2023<ref>{{cite web |title= Annual/Term Student Count Report|url=https://datamart.cccco.edu/Students/Student_Headcount_Term_Annual.aspx|publisher=California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office|access-date=June 20, 2025}}</ref>
|-
! Race and ethnicity
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|69.2|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|9.7|%|2||background:cyan}}
|-
| [[African American]]
|align=right| {{bartable|6.5|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|5.7|%|2||background:orange}}
|-
| Unknown
|align=right| {{bartable|3.5|%|2||background:grey}} 
|-
| [[Filipino Americans|Filipino]]
|align=right| {{bartable|2.9|%|2||background:blue}}
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Multiracial]]
|align=right| {{bartable|2.2|%|2||background:violet}}
|-
| [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.3|%|2||background:brown}}
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]/[[Alaska Native]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.2|%|2||background:yellow}}
|}

==Notable alumni==
{{Main|List of Cerritos College alumni}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.cerritos.edu}}

{{Norwalk, California}}
{{Colleges and universities in Los Angeles County}}
{{South Coast Conference}}
{{California Community College System}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cerritos College| ]]
[[Category:California Community Colleges]]
[[Category:Cerritos, California]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1955]]
[[Category:Norwalk, California]]
[[Category:Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:1955 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Two-year colleges in the United States]]