Grand Rapids Community College

What Grand Rapids Community College does

Grand Rapids Community College is a public community college founded in 1914 (previously Grand Rapids Junior College), operating under the authority of the State of Michigan and governed by an elected Board of Trustees. The institution serves approximately 13,000 students annually across its main campus in downtown Grand Rapids and its Lakeshore Campus in Holland, Michigan, with online, virtual, hybrid, and in-person modalities delivered via a Learning Management System.

GRCC offers associate degrees, certificates, transfer pathways to four-year universities, and a growing workforce training portfolio that includes Business & Corporate Training, Job Training Programs, FutureTech Careers, a Quality Science Certificate, and the Water Career Program developed in partnership with the City of Grand Rapids. Student support services encompass academic advising, career services, counseling, disability support, veterans services, and community-facing facilities such as the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse.

Revenue is generated through tuition and fees, state aid and property tax revenues under Michigan's community college funding model, federal grants (notably a $5.5 million U.S. Department of Labor grant in April 2024 and a $1 million EPA grant in September 2024), customized employer training delivered on-site, and GRCC Foundation donations (which awarded $1.3 million in scholarships to 1,642 students in FY2021-2022). The college participated in the Michigan Reconnect free-tuition program and markets to prospective students via its website, social channels including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, email, and community events such as the long-running GIANT Awards. As of late 2025, Dr. Kathryn Rogalski serves as the institution's 12th president.

Name

Grand Rapids Community College

Legal name

Grand Rapids Community College

Website

https://grcc.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Grand Rapids Community College is a public community college founded in 1914, serving about 13,000 students annually in West Michigan through associate degrees, certificates, transfer pathways, and workforce training programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Community College)

NAICS

Junior Colleges (611210), Junior Colleges (61121), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting) (EDAHADAC), Transfer/University-Parallel Community Colleges (EDAHADAF), Urban/Metropolitan Community Colleges (EDAHADAL)

Keywords

• Community college education
• Associate degree programs
• Workforce training services
• Career certificate programs
• Higher education transfer

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition and mandatory fees for credit-bearing courses and programs.
2. Government Grants: Federal grants from U.S. Department of Labor and EPA for workforce development and tech education programs.
3. State Funding: State aid and property tax revenues as part of Michigan's community college funding model.
4. Foundation Donations: The GRCC Foundation awards scholarships to students, with $1.3 million to 1,642 students in fiscal year 2021-2022.
5. Workforce Training Services: Business and corporate training programs and customized training for employers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grand Rapids Community College is a public community college offering associate degrees, academic certificates, transfer pathways to four-year universities, and workforce training programs. It delivers in-person, online, virtual, and hybrid courses across its main Grand Rapids campus, the Lakeshore Campus in Holland, and customized employer-site training. The college serves approximately 13,000 students annually in West Michigan with tuition supported by state funding, federal grants, and the GRCC Foundation's scholarship program.

Product overview

Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) is a community college offering a broad portfolio of educational products and workforce development services. The institution operates a unified educational platform comprising academic programs (associate degrees and certificates), workforce training programs (Business & Corporate Training, Job Training Programs, Water Career Program), and career services (FutureTech Careers, Quality Science Certificate). GRCC also administers financial aid programs including Michigan Reconnect. The college serves approximately 13,000 students annually across its main campus in Grand Rapids and the Lakeshore Campus in Holland, Michigan, focusing on accessible education and workforce preparation for West Michigan industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Programs and Associate Degrees
• Business & Corporate Training

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,642 students received $1.3 million in scholarships (FY 2021-2022)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• City of Grand RapidscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2024Water Career Program providing year-long internships and certification training at municipal water plants, addressing workforce shortages in water and wastewater utilities.
• West Michigan Industry StakeholderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partnerships for tech career pathways developed through the U.S. Department of Labor workforce development grant.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lansing Community College: A public Michigan community college offering associate degrees, transfer pathways, and workforce training; the most direct peer given the shared Michigan funding model, comparable urban footprint, and similar two-year + certificate program mix.
• Macomb Community College: Large Michigan public community college serving Metro Detroit with associate degrees, transfer programs, and an extensive workforce training division; comparable scale, employer engagement model, and state funding structure.
• Kalamazoo Valley Community College: Southwest Michigan public community college offering associate degrees, workforce training, and employer partnerships; directly comparable as a Michigan-based, mid-sized community college focused on regional employer demand.
• Muskegon Community College: West Michigan public community college in the same regional service area as GRCC; competes for overlapping student populations in Kent/Ottawa/Muskegon counties with similar two-year and workforce program offerings.
• Henry Ford College: Michigan public community college with strong workforce development and corporate training focus; comparable in scale, mission, and emphasis on industry-aligned technical programs.
• Schoolcraft College: Metro Detroit-area Michigan public community college offering associate degrees, transfer pathways, and continuing education; comparable institutional scale, funding model, and student demographic profile.
• Washtenaw Community College: Michigan public community college with a similar two-year academic + workforce training portfolio; comparable in size, employer engagement, and reliance on the Michigan community college funding formula.
• Northeast Wisconsin Technical College: Wisconsin technical college where incoming GRCC president Dr. Rogalski previously oversaw a $55M division; comparable scale, technical/workforce orientation, and employer-driven program design.

Broad incumbents

• Northern Virginia Community College: One of the largest community college systems in the U.S.; comparable comprehensive two-year + workforce mission but at significantly greater scale, illustrating the upper bound of community college operating models.

Others

• Grand Valley State University: Primary four-year transfer destination for GRCC graduates in West Michigan; not a direct competitor but a closely linked institutional peer whose transfer policies and program offerings directly affect GRCC's value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/grcc
• Facebookfacebook.com/22630234260
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grand-rapids-community-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/grccraiders
• TikToktiktok.com/@grccraiders
• Xx.com/grcc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grand Rapids Community College