Founded in 1966 as a branch campus of Manchester Community College, Middlesex Community College became an independent member of the Community College System in 1968. In 1973, the college moved to its present 38-acre campus, which overlooks the scenic Connecticut River and the City of Middletown. Middlesex Community College is conveniently located in Central Connecticut and is easily accessible via major interstates. Middlesex believes that a college education should be available to everyone, and is therefore committed to providing excellence in teaching as well as personal support in developing the genius of each student. An open admissions college, Middlesex awards associate degrees in more than 20 major areas and certificates in a variety of programs which lead to further study, employment and active citizenship. The educational goal of the college is to promote understanding, learning, ethics, and self-discipline by encouraging critical thinking. Enrollment at Middlesex has grown from an original class of 320 to more than 2200 full and part-time students. The college also serves the diverse educational needs of more than 1700 continuing education students through its Credit-Free Division.