One of the best-kept secrets in Lompoc Valley is the diversity of higher education opportunities. Two universities and one college are located within minutes of the city: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of La Verne, which have campuses at Vandenberg Air Force Base, and Allan Hancock College, which has a Lompoc campus and a program at VAFB. The University of California, Santa Barbara and California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly) in San Luis Obispo are also within commuting distance of the city. In addition, state-funded workforce and leadership training is available through several community colleges.
Allan Hancock College
The most visible of the local higher education institutions, the Allan Hancock College Lompoc Valley Center is located on a beautiful 156-acre parcel at the north end of the city. The 58,000 square-foot center was built in 1999, and offers a full array of college courses and progams. In total, AHC enrolls nearly 20,000 credit and community education students each semester at its campus in Santa Maria and centers in Lompoc, Vandenberg AFB and Solvang.
The college will begin construction at the Lompoc Valley Center in 2010 on a world class training facility for the fire, police and emergency medical training academies. The passage of a $180 million general obligation bond in 2006 is helping to transform the college through modernization technology and new teaching and learning spaces. Also scheduled for construction is a new One-Stop Student Services Center and expansion of the Children's Center on the Santa Maria campus. A $6 million district-wide technology project will transform the college's systems for 21st century computing and communications.
Allan Hancock College provides 86 degree programs and 107 certificates, ranging from culinary arts to public safety. Specialized programs include viticulture/enology, with an on-campus winery and vineyard, fire and police training for three counties and a new Culinology® degree that combines culinary arts, nutrition and food science into one field.
Mechatronics is also a new degree program that combines mechanical engineering, electronics, controls engineering and computers, emphasizing links between machine and computer and using software to guide a physical system like a robot. There is a great demand locally for these skills, where graduates of the AHC two-year program can expect to earn up to $90,000 annually.
The college's environmental technology program provides certified training for private employers and public agencies. Over the last ten years, AHC's Environmental Training Center has provided training to more than 4,500 employees and 250 local businesses, in such areas as hazardous materials handling and homeland security.
Hancock also offers an outstanding nursing program that prepares 40 licensed vocational nurses and 40 registered nurses every year. It also has the largest Certified Nursing Assistant program in the state, with the highest pass rate on the state licensing exam. Other popular programs include multimedia, which offers excellent opportunities in graphic design, Web development, animation, film and video and more. These and other programs lead to excellent career opportunities both locally and nationally. Students live the motto that at Allan Hancock College they can "Start here. Go anywhere." Contact: 735-3366 or hancockcollege.edu.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Vandenberg Center opened in May 2002. ERAU offers associate and bachelor's degree programs in professional aeronautics and technical management, and professional certificates of concentration in space studies, occupational safety, aviation safety, supply chain management and logistics. Graduate degree programs are available in aeronautical science, with eight specializations including space and space operations management, management, with five specializations, and beginning this year project management. ERAU has five terms a year with classes starting every 10 weeks. Tuition assistance is accepted as well as veterans benefits, and financial aid is available. The university is nationally accredited. Contact: 734-4076 or erau.edu/vandenberg.
The University of La Verne
For more than 30 years The University of La Verne has helped military personnel stationed at Vandenberg AFB achieve their educational goals. The Vandenberg campus offers bachelor's degree programs in business administration, organizational management and psychology and master's degree programs in business administration and leadership management. Contact: 734-1306 or ulv.edu.
Adult Education & Vocational Training
Lompoc Unified School District Adult Education is the best kept education secret in Lompoc Valley. LUSD Adult Education promotes "Learning4Life" by offering courses in education enhancement and completion courses, including GED preparation and ESL; career training; parenting; skill development; driver and traffic education; senior education classes; languages; parenting; crafting and more. Professionally instructed courses, flexible schedules, free childcare and low cost to cost-free classes are available at 16 sites throughout Lompoc Valley. Licensed vocational nursing, pharmacy technician and all you want to know about your car are new programs. A new location is at 320 North J St. Contact: 742-3100 or adulted.lusd.org.
Vocational training programs at Cabrillo High School and Lompoc High School recently received state grants. These programs will give students career orientation and allow them to graduate from high school with some of the prerequisite courses completed, which will allow them to begin their chosen course of study immediately.
Cabrillo recieved $164,000 to build a new complex in which students participating in the school's sports medicine program can assist with actual physical therapy sessions conducted by the on-campus athletic trainer, Michael Tillery. The program is part of the Santa Barbara County Regional Occupational Program. Contact: 742-2900 or lusd.org.
Lompoc High School received $154,000 to streamline its business courses into a comprehensive Business Academy. The Academy will combine the resources of the high school, local business leaders and Allan Hancock College to help students acquire marketable business related skills, thereby ensuring a smooth transition from school to work, and/or allow students who plan to pursue higher education to get the foot in the door with college level courses. Students will complete internships and take part in networking activities while taking courses that will give them highly sought after skills such as computer programming. Contact: 742-3000 or lusd.org.
The University of California Santa Barbara and California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly) in San Luis Obispo are also within commuting distance of the city. In addition, state-funded workforce and leadership training is available through several community colleges.
