Odessa College
Odessa College has been an integral part of educating West Texans since 1946. The college has grown tremendously, both in students and in the courses available. Currently OC offers more than 120 Associate and Certificate Degree programs in the Arts & Sciences, as well as Career and Technical.
To meet the needs of today's students, classes are available on the beautiful OC main campus in Odessa, at extension sites in Andrews, Monahans, Pecos, and Seminole. as well as in the convenience of their home through OC Global. OC Global provides educational opportunities to anybody anywhere at anytime with fully accredited and completely online degree programs.
More than 30 occupational/technical programs are offered to meet the needs of citizens who want to learn new or improve existing skills. With more than 30 percent of our students enrolled in occupational/technical programs, OC continues to fulfill the workforce demands of our community.
Almost 6,000 students are currently enrolled in university-parallel and occupational/technical credit courses. During a year, almost 11,000 individuals also enroll in one or more Adult Basic Education, Continuing Education or Community Recreation courses.
Located in rural West Texas, Odessa College’s service area includes 13 counties, covering 33,000 square miles—a service area approximately the size of the state of Maine—and is the largest service area for any community college in Texas.
Odessa College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award certificates, associate degrees, and baccalaureate degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Odessa College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Odessa, Texas
Odessa, Texas was established in 1881 as a stop on the Texas and Pacific Railroads. It has been said that Odessa’s name originated from an area that resembled our region around the Russian city in Ukraine named Odessa. The unsurpassed beauty of the West Texas sunsets and a climate that is warm and inviting make this uncommon city a true paradise. Odessa is also well known for its hospitality, and people with deep appreciation of colorful past and enthusiasm for a future rich with possibilities. Odessa is a city where cowboys, culture, oil and everything in between bring visitors a flavor so delicious it can only be described as “A City of Contrasts.”
Odessa is located in Ector County, approximately midway between Fort Worth and El Paso, covering an area of 35.04 square miles. This area is called the Permian Basin. The Permian Basin is approximately 250 mile wide and 300 miles long. The basin was formed during the Permian Period, the final portion of the Paleozoic Era approximately 280 million years ago. A shallow sea, known as the Permian Sea, which was densely populated with life, once covered the Permian Basin. As the ocean dried up, the decaying plants and animals eventually helped form the gigantic pools of oil and gas that are still being taken from the basin. Three of the state’s major land resources meet here - the High Plains, Trans Pecos and Edward’s Plateau.
Located in a region where the Comanche Indians once roamed, Odessa’s history as a settlement can be traced to the 1881 extension of the Texas and Pacific Railway across the south plains and the need to provide water for the steam engines. The availability of cheap land encouraged settlers to the area from 1879 to 1885. The first ranchers arrived in 1885, but it was the railroad that made Odessa vital to the cattle industry. By the mid 1890’s Odessa was an established cattle shipping center.
When oil was discovered in 1926, the destiny of the community took a different course. This discovery brought people of varied interests and occupations to the area, and the local economy began to change from a ranching base into an industrial one.
Today, Odessa is alive and thriving, although oil and gas still remain our largest industry, the city has begun to diversify. Odessa is quickly being recognized as a major health industry hub with three hospitals, a cancer center, and several medical specialists in the area.