As fall term gets underway at Central Oregon Community College's Madras campus, the college is marking a significant milestone: a nursing cohort based right here in Jefferson County, giving local students a pathway into healthcare careers without making the daily commute to Bend.
The Fall 2026 nursing program at COCC runs two parallel cohorts — one at the Bend campus with 56 available seats annually, and one at the Madras campus with 8 seats. According to campus director James Rodriguez, the Madras nursing cohort is completely filled. That kind of demand tells its own story about how strongly Jefferson County families want local access to higher education and healthcare career training.
A New Building to Match Growing Ambitions
The nursing cohort joins a broader expansion at the Madras campus. A new building that had been under construction through late 2025 was completed in January 2026, and is now fully operational for fall term. The facility provides dedicated space for healthcare training programs, bringing equipment and classroom environments up to the standard expected for clinical and laboratory instruction.
Rodriguez, who joined the Madras campus as director in February, has made expanding workforce-relevant programming a clear priority. Healthcare sits near the top of that list. Jefferson County has long faced a shortage of nurses and other medical professionals — a challenge that affects St. Charles Madras, rural health clinics, and long-term care facilities throughout the region. Training nurses locally is one of the most direct ways a community college can address that gap.
Enrollment Up from Last Year
Beyond nursing, overall enrollment at the Madras campus is up compared to the prior year. Rodriguez shared the positive enrollment trends at a recent Jefferson County networking event, describing a campus that has momentum heading into the new academic year.
COCC's Madras campus has been operating since 2011, originally designed as a remote extension of the Bend campus. Over time, it has developed its own identity — serving students in Madras, Metolius, Culver, and surrounding communities who need local access to college courses and certificate programs without traveling an hour south.
What's Available at COCC Madras
In addition to the nursing cohort, the Madras campus offers general education courses, career and technical education programs, computer labs, student support services, and live-streaming access to courses taught at the Bend campus. The campus is equipped for hybrid instruction, making it increasingly competitive with what students might expect from a larger college setting.
Students interested in COCC programs at the Madras campus can visit cocc.edu/departments/madras, email welcome@cocc.edu, or call 541-383-7500. Winter term 2027 registration information will be available in the coming months.