
Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) was established in 1966 to provide community-college education for the eastern Portland metropolitan area. Its identity remains that of a public, two-year college: students attend for transfer preparation, career and technical training, certificates, and continuing education.
The college's main campus in Gresham gives it a physical base for classroom instruction, laboratories, athletics, and student services. Its Maywood Park location in Portland extends access to other parts of the district. For prospective students, the institution's history helps explain why its academic offerings range from university-transfer courses to training designed for specific occupations.
MHCC organizes instruction around academic and career-focused programs rather than a university-style system of undergraduate and graduate faculties. Its catalog includes associate degrees and certificates, including transfer pathways, health-related programs, business and technology subjects, and trades and technical education.
Students considering nursing, dental hygiene, or another selective-entry field should distinguish admission to the college from admission to the program. A program may require prerequisite courses, a separate application, clinical eligibility checks, or a particular sequence of classes. Transfer students should identify the associate-degree pathway and receiving university early, because courses useful for one major may not satisfy another major's requirements.
MHCC's main campus is in Gresham, Oregon, east of Portland. The college also serves students through its Maywood Park location in Portland. Prospective students should check where their particular classes and required services meet; a program listed in the college catalog is not necessarily offered at every location.
The metropolitan setting gives students access to regional employers and public transportation, while also making travel time a practical part of course planning. A schedule that combines classes at different sites may require more travel than a single-campus timetable. Portland International Airport is the area's principal airport, though everyday access to campus is more likely to depend on local transit or a car.
MHCC describes its educational purpose in terms of transforming lives through education. As a public community college, it serves students pursuing transfer, workforce preparation, and other forms of learning rather than a single residential or research-focused student population.
Its stated priorities are best understood alongside the choices students actually make: whether a credential leads directly toward employment, transfers efficiently to a university, or provides a manageable route back into education. A mission statement expresses institutional intent; students evaluating a particular program should also examine its curriculum, entry rules, costs, and outcomes.
Name of the institution
Mt Hood Community CollegeLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, not primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
5,000 - 9,999School type
Two-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
QuartersFoundation year
1966Mt Hood Community College is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, 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.