Trinidad State Junior College
Trinidad State Junior College is a state-supported, two-year institution of higher education. The College was established by an act of the State Legislature in 1925, and is the oldest public two-year college in the State of Colorado. The College’s Service Area includes eight rural counties characterized by low population density and small communities. One campus is located in Trinidad and is a residential campus while the other, located in Alamosa, is a commuter campus. Both campuses serve distinct populations. As a comprehensive Community College, Trinidad State Junior College not only offers ongoing transfer Associate of Arts Degree and Associate of Applied Science (vocational) Degree programs, but also has developed and implemented numerous successful short-term vocational certificate programs, and totally inclusive adult education and developmental programs.
The Trinidad Campus
Trinidad State Junior College, the oldest two-year college in the state of Colorado, offers students the opportunity to explore their potential. With an enrollment of about 2,200 students, TSJC is a friendly school in a small community, located in southern Colorado, between the Rocky Mountains and the New Mexico mesas.
The college is proud of the individual attention students can gain from faculty members who take personal interest in them. Majors are offered in a wide variety of academic transfer areas and career and technical programs. Activities at TSJC are offered to everyone’s tastes. Most departments have special interest organizations, and a broad intramural program is offered to men and women.
The Valley Campus
The Trinidad State Junior College Valley Campus is located in the San Luis Valley, which consists of six counties: Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache. Located in a broad, mostly flat valley, as much as 100 miles long and 75 miles wide, with an elevation of 7,500 feet at the Valley floor, the region is rimmed by high mountains to the north, east, and west, with elevations up to 14,345 feet. The Rio Grande River rises in the western part of the region and flows south into New Mexico. The region has an area of 8,180 square miles and a population of approximately forty thousand people. Major communities in the Valley include Alamosa, Monte Vista, Del Norte, Center, Antonito, Manassa, San Luis, La Jara, Sanford, Creede, and Saguache.
Highway transportation in the Valley includes U.S. Highway 285, traversing the Valley from north to south, and U.S. Highway 160, which connects the Valley with Interstate 25 to the east. Rail service to many communities in the region is provided by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Alamosa is served by a commercial airline with daily flights to Denver and New Mexico cities.
Scenic and recreational attractions are another major resource of the San Luis Valley including the Great Sand Dunes National Monument; Wolf Creek Ski Area; Rio Grande and Gunnison National Forests; San Luis, the oldest city in Colorado; Conejos, with the oldest church; the old mining town of Creede; and the Narrow Gauge Railroad, which runs between Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico over spectacular Cumbres Pass. Surrounding the Valley are the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges, with nine peaks rising above 14,000 feet.
