Education

Education thrives in the Pioneer Valley. There are 40 preparatory schools, 110 colleges, and some of the finest secondary schools in the country within a 50-mile radius. Holyoke Community College, the nearby Elms College in Chicopee, and Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, offer a variety of programs. There are 13 colleges convenient to the city which cooperate to provide excellent undergraduate and graduate programs.

Many Pioneer Valley colleges are enjoying record-high applications. The education industry remains one of the region’s strongest.

Holyoke has an innovative public school system in a state known nationally for leadership in education. There are eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and two secondary schools: Holyoke High School and Dean Technical High School. There are also six non-public schools.

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Holyoke Community College

303 Homestead Avenue
Holyoke, MA
(413) 538-7000

Founded in 1946 with fewer than 50 students attending, Holyoke Community College today enrolls almost 9,000 students in credit programs annually and over 4,000 annually in workforce development and community service courses.  The College offers 82 associate degree options, 42 certificate programs, as well as hundreds of non-credit courses.

Students who choose the traditional form of classroom education will find the College’s beautiful 135 acre campus conveniently located at the crossroads of Western Massachusetts, where I-91 and the Massachusetts Turnpike meet. Classes are offered all day, from early morning through late afternoon, evenings, on weekends, and online to meet the busy schedules of today’s students.

Through an extensive distance learning program, students can also earn an associate degree in Business Administration, Liberal Arts, or Liberal Studies.

Holyoke Community College is equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology in specialized learning facilities. The College has prepared thousands of students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities, but also offers a wide variety of career training programs and non-credit courses.

When students enroll in just one credit course at Holyoke Community College, they automatically gain free access to one of the premier health clubs in the area, the David M. Bartley Center houses a three-court gymnasium for basketball, volleyball, and tennis, dance and aerobics room, locker rooms with amenities such as sauna and steam rooms, and a 3,800-square-foot fitness center with more than 60 pieces of equipment.

The Kittredge Business Center at Holyoke Community College

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Cambridge College, Springfield Campus

570 Cottage Street
Springfield, MA
(413) 747-0204

Cambridge College, based in Cambridge, MA, has a regional site in Springfield. Located at 570 Cottage Street, this location currently serves about 400 adult learners with 13:1 student teacher ratio. Under- graduate program offerings include Human Services, Manage-ment Studies and Multidisciplinary Studies. Graduate program offerings include licensure and non-licensure Master of Education programs, licensure and non-licensure Master of Education in Counseling Psychology programs, and Master of Management, all with various concentrations. In addition, Cambridge College - Springfield offers post-master’s CAGS programs in Educational Leadership.

Cambridge College offers a unique learning environment where working adults can continue their education by building on a lifetime of learning. The innovative teaching and learning model helps adult students meet the challenges of higher education with the degree credentials they need to advance their careers. Flexible evening and weekend schedules allow students to take classes while maintaining their current jobs.

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Elms College

291 Springfield Street
Chicopee, MA
(413) 594-2761

Elms College is a dynamic, Catholic, coeducational liberal arts institution in Chicopee, educating reflective, principled, and creative learners. The college educates learners for life through a curriculum that promotes critical thinking, effective communication, an appreciation of the arts and humanities, an ability to utilize technology for the advancement of knowledge, an understanding of faith, and a willingness to respond to global concerns of justice and peace.

With a 12-to-1 student-faculty ratio and small classes, Elms College provides students with a faculty and staff responsive to individual students; as well as a challenging curriculum; a thriving, inclusive athletic program; and a safe campus.

There are a total of 539 full-time undergraduate students on the college’s beautiful, suburban, 23-acre campus. Nine main buildings are situated around a spacious quadrangle. Residential students live in three co-ed dorms on the campus, all completely wired for high-speed Internet access. Berchmans Hall, the main classroom and administration building, is a magnificent Gothic structure which houses a large auditorium, a gymnasium, and state-of-the-art language, science and computer laboratories; and the College Center houses the dining room and snack bar, bookstore, art gallery, and academic resource center. The Alumnae Library provides an ideal atmosphere for study and research, with extensive on-site holdings, and remote access that allows students to research the library’s databases anytime, from any computer. The Maguire Center for Health, Fitness, and Athletics, contains a gym with a suspended indoor running track, a 25-meter swimming pool, a weight training area, and a Health and Wellness Center.

For more information about Elms College, visit us online at www.elms.edu or call our Admission Office at 1-800-255-ELMS or 1-413-592-3189.

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Mount Holyoke College

50 College Street
South Hadley, MA
(413) 538-2000

Mount Holyoke College is a highly selective, residential, liberal arts college for women enrolling approximately 2,100 students from across the United States and more than 80 countries. Founded by the revolutionary educator and chemist, Mary Lyon in 1837, the College is known today for its rigorous academic program, its global community, its legacy of women leaders, and its commitment to connecting the work of the academy with the concerns of the world.

Mount Holyoke is situated in the town of South Hadley within an 800-acre arboretum. Called one of America’s most beautiful college campuses, the grounds feature many historic buildings, as well as two lakes, walking trails, botanic gardens, and Talcott Greenhouse with its annual Spring Flower Show.

The Mount Holyoke College Art Museum is one of the oldest collegiate museums in the United States-and one of the liveliest. Recently renovated and expanded to house 10 galleries, the museum maintains a comprehensive collection of more than 11,000 objects, ranging from ancient Egypt, China, and Peru to contemporary America. Primary strengths include Asian art, 19th- and 20th-century European and American, paintings and sculpture, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art, medieval sculpture, early Italian Renaissance paintings, and an extensive collection of prints, drawings, and photographs.

Known for its special exhibitions, the museum also hosts related gallery talks, lectures, and occasional concerts that are open to the public. Admission is free, although donations are welcome. For groups of eight or more, docent-led group tours are available with at least a three-week advance notice. For more than a decade, the museum has sponsored an education program for local school children. Through direct experience with artifacts and original works of art, children who participate learn about history, world cultures, and archaeology. For information, visit www.mtholyoke.edu/go/artmuseum
or call 413-538-2245.