During the mid-1930s, Huntington resident Chester A. Riley Jr. identified the need for an institution to prepare the city's workforce for the skilled manufacturing and office positions that were available as a result of the area's economic growth.[3] Riley and his wife, Peggy, established Huntington Junior College in 1936 in downtown Huntington.[3][4][5] On its opening day, the college's faculty consisted of two teachers and its student population consisted of five secretarial students.[3][4] Its initial curriculum consisted of courses in shorthand, typing, and bookkeeping.[5] For its first two years in operation, HJC was located at 920 Fifth Avenue, above the present location of Jim's Steak & Spaghetti House.[6] Chester A. Riley Jr., served as the college's president for over 60 years.[5]
Around 1980, HJC relocated to the former Cabell County Public Library building in downtown Huntington at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street.[5] The college renovated the library building to accommodate its academic programs while preserving the structure's historic integrity.[5] On November 14, 1997, HJC was accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.[7] HJC commemorated the 75th anniversary of its establishment on August 31, 2011.[3] From its foundation in 1936 until 2011, more than approximately 5,200 people graduated from HJC.[4] In September 2022, the college was re-accredited through the 2031–2032 school year by The Higher Learning Commission.[8] The college was granted non-profit status in March 2023.[9]
Carolyn Smith served as president and director of HJC[10] until March 2022 when it was acquired by SensibleSchool, Inc.[11]Frederic J. Fransen, the CEO of Certell, Inc. became president of HJC. Kiko Suarez was appointed Chief Academic Officer in June of that year.[12]
As of March 2022[update], Fred Fransen is the college's president. The college is also advised by a governing board consisting of community business and academic leaders.[5] The Governing Board provides guidance on the college's curricula and general operations.[5]
Full-time tuition during the 2021–2022 academic year was $10,050.[17] In fall 2022, the college announced that it had frozen tuition for the third year in a row.[18] The college has a 95% retention rate.
In 2019, HJC students had a student loan default rate of 6%,[19] below the national average of 15.2% for similar schools.[20]
As of fall 2022, the student body totaled 151 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The college has 6 full-time total faculty and 5 part-time faculty and a student-to-faculty ratio of 18 to 1.[15] According to fall 2021 data on undergraduate student age, 15% of the college's students were aged 24 and under and 85% of students were aged 25 and over.[15] Regarding the residence of the school's undergraduate students, 80% of students were in-state and 20% of students were out-of-state.[15] The majority (86%) of the students enrolled at HJC are enrolled in distance education, with 56% enrolled only in distance education, and 13% not enrolled in distance education.[15]
According to the United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, HJC is classified as having a small city campus setting.[15] There is no campus housing for the college's student population.[15]
