Historical Fun Facts

Women's basketball team from 1919.

The beginning of Metropolitan Community College dates back to 1915, originally known as the Kansas City Polytechnic Institute. 234 eager students signed up for the first semester.


Other fun facts:

• The original building, at 11th & Locust, had previously been the old Central High School, built in 1875.

• Tuition was free to students under 21 who lived within the school district.

• The Junior College was the first public school in the country to award an associate of arts degree, and it became a national model for two-year postsecondary education.

• The term “junior college” originated in the 1890s, “community college” in the 1950s.