Profile
From Farmland to 21st Century
When they arrived for classes in fall 1972, 3,500 Richland College (RLC) credit students shared their campus with sheep grazing on the farmland and ducks swimming on the lakes that separate the campus buildings. Architects, winners of numerous awards for RLC’s design, had carefully protected the trees, the lakes– even the animals– as they planned the campus. The sheep graze elsewhere now, but students and staff still enjoy and protect those first campus ducks’ descendants, Richland Thunderducks. In 2003 Thunderduck Hall opened as the college’s onestop student enrollment "front door." Funds from the 2004 bond election added a new science building (2010), designed/constructed as a "LEED Platinum" green building, as well as the "LEED Gold"-designed/constructed Richland College Garland Campus (2009).
Student Diversity
Each semester, Richland serves some 20,000 credit and 4,800 non-credit students who come from more than 130 countries and speak 79 first languages.
- Female 55%
- Male 45%
- Anglo 35%
- Hispanic 23%
- African-American 20%
- Asian-American 16%
- Unknown 4%K
- Pacific Islander 1%
- International 1%
- Native American .5%
- Average age 27
- University transfer 58%
Educational Programs
Academic programs with special emphases:
- Mexican-American/Latino Studies
- Studiy Abroad
- African-American/Black Studies
- Global Studies
- Asian-American/Middle Eastern-American Studies
- Honors College
- Richland Institute for Peace
International Studies programs with global partners:
- Central/South America
- Middle East
- Europe
- Asia
- Africa
- North America
Other Key Programs
- Career and technical programs for immediate employment
- Customized contract training for businesses through Corporate Services
- Baby Boomer and Emeritus programs for the Plus 50 and senior segments
Richland Collegiate High School (RCHS)
RCHS was one of the first junior-senior dual credit charter schools administered by a community college. With focal areas in Mathematics, Science, and Engineering (2005) and Visual, Performing, and Digital Arts (2010), the TEA Exemplary-rated RCHS has capacity for up to 900 students who may simultaneously earn a high school diploma and an associate degree.