When Central Oregon Community College opened the doors to its expanded Madras campus in January 2026, it marked one of the more significant investments in Jefferson County education in recent memory. Nearly a year later, the campus is building on that momentum — with healthcare programs gaining traction and the facility proving its value to a community that had long advocated for more local college options.
A New Home for Jefferson County Higher Education
The expanded learning center at 1170 E. Ashwood Road, near Juniper Hill Park, gave COCC Madras a genuine foothold in the community — far beyond the modest satellite operation that preceded it. The new facility supports in-person instruction with modern classrooms and lab space suited to healthcare training, allowing programs like nursing and medical assisting to move forward in a meaningful way.
Nursing and medical assisting cohorts launched in the fall of 2025, meaning the first students trained under the expanded program are now well into their second year of studies and clinical preparation. For Jefferson County, that represents a local pipeline of healthcare workers in the making.
Meeting the County's Healthcare Workforce Gap
Jefferson County's healthcare sector has historically struggled with workforce recruitment and retention — a challenge common to rural communities across Oregon. St. Charles Madras, Mosaic Community Health, and the Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center collectively serve a wide geographic area, and finding qualified staff has long required competing with higher-paying urban markets.
COCC's Madras expansion is designed, in part, to change that equation. By training healthcare workers locally — many of whom have roots in Jefferson County or Warm Springs — the college creates a pathway for graduates to enter the local workforce rather than relocating elsewhere after earning their credentials.
"The goal was always to build programs that serve Jefferson County, not just serve students who happen to be from Jefferson County." — COCC President Greg Pereira
What Is Available at COCC Madras
Students at the Madras campus can currently access:
- Nursing and medical assisting tracks
- Childcare and early childhood education programs
- General education and transfer courses
- Hybrid and online options for schedule flexibility
Winter term registration typically opens in November. Jefferson County residents interested in exploring options can visit cocc.edu/departments/madras or stop by the campus at 1170 E. Ashwood Road in Madras.
Building on the First Year
As the campus approaches its first anniversary, the focus shifts from opening to growth — deepening enrollment, strengthening employer partnerships, and potentially expanding the program catalog in coming terms. For a county where higher education has historically required a 45-minute commute to Bend, the COCC Madras campus represents something simple but significant: a local option that wasn't there before.