
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is a public college founded in 1969 as Cincinnati Technical College. Its original emphasis on technical education remains part of its identity, alongside associate-degree programs designed for transfer and shorter career-focused credentials.
The college adopted its current name in 1994, reflecting a broader community-college role. Today, students can pursue technical training, general education, and cooperative education that combines classroom study with work experience. Those paths serve different goals: a student planning to transfer should check how courses apply to a bachelor's degree, while a student entering a technical field should examine the requirements of the specific credential.
Cincinnati State organizes its academic offerings into divisions covering business, engineering and information technologies, health and public safety, and humanities and sciences. It is primarily an associate-degree and certificate-granting institution, rather than a conventional four-year university.
Its program mix includes fields such as culinary arts, information technology, engineering technologies, nursing, respiratory care, and general studies. The Midwest Culinary Institute is a distinctive part of its culinary offerings. Students should compare the credential attached to each program: an associate degree, a certificate, and a transfer-oriented course sequence can have substantially different credit requirements and next steps.
Some health and technical programs have separate admission, clinical, equipment, or scheduling requirements. Admission to the college therefore should not be taken as admission to every program.
Cincinnati State's main campus is in the Clifton area of Cincinnati, Ohio. The college serves a largely local student population, so travel time, parking, and the location of required classes or clinical work are practical considerations.
Not every program necessarily meets at the main campus. The college also uses other Cincinnati-area locations for particular programs and workforce training; applicants should check the location shown in the current course schedule before committing to a commute. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport serves the region, though everyday access to classes is more likely to depend on local transportation.
Cincinnati State's stated educational purpose centers on accessible technical and general education, transfer preparation, experiential learning, and workforce development. That combination explains why its offerings include both courses intended for further study and programs tied closely to particular occupations.
The college presents cooperative education and employer connections as important parts of its approach. For a prospective student, the useful question is how that approach operates in a chosen program: whether work experience is required, how it is arranged, and whether the credits will meet a future transfer goal. The institution is public and is not identified as religiously affiliated.
Name of the institution
Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
City: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, not primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
5,000 - 9,999School type
Four-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1969Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degreeData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.