Outstanding junior community college, I highly recommend for getting basic required courses completed in relatively small class sizes, for cheap to no cost. They even have high school programs to earn college credits. I took extra night summer classes to complete my bachelors degree, decades ago. I took real estate classes on line and on campus to get my real estate license. Trade school classes are excellent for police, fire, nursing, medical/dental assistance, mechanics, etcetera. Many seniors take cooking, gardening, photography, exercise, art, dance, theater and other programs. Fabulous to stay active and exercise/move! Public schools are so affordable, compared to say, Williams at $70,000 plus per year! Really, if you have a child interested in higher education: perhaps they should aim for a 4.0 grade point average at a junior college, then get a scholarship at a state university for the last two years. I moved to California, after graduating one year early (at 17) with honors, from a public high school. Went to UCLA, at 17 with the hill side strangler roaming the neighborhood. Classes were 500 plus students in auditorium halls, for the basic mandatory courses. Ridiculous!!! Interesting adventure for a country girl from Massachusetts, but I do not recommend. I finally graduated UCSC, correct a banana slug: after Wheaton College, a year in Osaka Japan and other experiences. However, I always treasured the value of the community colleges, I attended. Cabrillo and MPC primarily, but the state law school I graduated from, was also excellent and cost effective (MCL). Enjoy your life and aim for less debt. read more

20yrs ago it was a good college. This month, the Admissions & Records Dept has caused me to become homeless and jobless. How? On the 6th of Jan 2026, I ordered transcripts to be sent to the board of nursing in Oregon for a job I had gotten. Today is Feb 1st and they have not sent it. 2 weeks ago I ordered a 2nd set of transcripts, they have REFUSED TO RELEASE MY TRANSCRIPTS per National Student Clearing House who they are contracted with. I have called about a dozen times, they never answer and they have never returned my call. Because of them basically stealing my money not once, but twice, I gave up my home in CA and moved to Oregon to start a job but could not because of the sole reason of them stealing my money and holding my transcripts from Natl Student Clearing House. I have been sleeping as a nurse, in truck stops because I have not been able to start any job in Oregon where I moved to because the Oregon Board need them to send what I paid for twice already. They are a bunch of morons there to hear me tell them my dire state over and over again in all the messages and still hold unto my transcripts plus ghost me. I will be looking to file a lawsuit on this dispicable Admissions & Records dept at Monterey Peninsula College. 0/5 stars for you lack of customer service. read more

-There was a young man by the name of Reggie Johnson. He played football during the years of 2007-2009, and that kid was elite. He was a special talent to watch in practice & a joy to watch during the games. At one point in time he was ranked number 1 in the north, as a punt returner, and a kick returner. He played under coach Rasmussen while the equipment manager Rene was around ask about his 4.3- 4.4 speed. Everybody wanted him to go to USC cause he ran like Reggie Bush. I was told he got accepted to the University Of Edward Waters, in Jacksonville Florida purple city aka Ricky Waters camp. Onlookers also mentioned he received prospect letters from the (W) Wyoming University cowboys D1 & Iowa State University the cyclones D1. Loved seeing this young man do what he does shout out to the whole MPC wolf pack! read more

re: Jessica baum (née thomas) We don't become teachers so we can denegrate students for majoring in an adjacent field, especially when those students invest years in research. Do not be so arrogant that chemistry is too different from physics. We offer recommendations to our students who show curiosity and a passion for the subjects we teach. We do not withold them and we do not suggest that others do the same because of preoccupation with semantics. Professor also appears to have an interest in teaching students plural but shows concerning levels of antisocial behavior in working with students singular and with fellow faculty. Disappointing hire. read more

I love MPC! I graduated from here in 2008. I am returning to further my skills. Everyone from the bookstore to the teachers to the counseling department are amazing! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this school to anyone! read more

I have been attending this college for three semesters. Over all it is amazing and the staff is awesome. Do yourself a favor and do not take any class instructed by John Finnel. He teaches History and other subjects. He is awful to say the least. I am experiencing homelessness and I have trouble finding internet. I worked on the final for his class for more than 5 hours. I had an 87% the whole time. I went to upload my assignment and my hot spot from my phone was giving me trouble so I could not get it uploaded by 12pm and the assignment closed. I emailed him and told him what happened and he could care less. My grade dropped to an F and I failed the class. Not only is he inconsiderate to special needs he is quite rude in the emails back and fourth. Stay away from this instructor if you have any special needs. This guy does not want you to succeed. He could care less about you. read more

DO NOT TAKE THE PHLEBOTOMY PROGRAM. It's a money making machine. They crank up phlebotomist and do not assist or teach well. The teachers would humiliate students. They would be condescending and rude. They also have students draw blood who felt faint. Crazy do mot take it with these teachers. read more

This College has been a life changing experience. The administration is so helpful, academic staff has supported my journey in more ways than I can count. I highly recommend MPC. read more

Great experience so far. Chris in the counseling department is my go-to counselor. Super reliable, friendly, and informative. Makes it clear what classes I need to take. read more

I loved my experience at MPC. I was very fortunate to be apart of the EOPS program, and had such amazing counselors! If you have the opportunity to be in EOPS please seek advice from either Jenna K or Kacey G, they're so helpful and know exactly what they are talking about. These 2 lovely counselors helped me apply to nursing programs! I'll be attending Fresno State's Nursing Program this fall, thanks to their help! I cannot forget to mention how awesome my professors were at MPC. All of them were very knowledgeable and showed great passion for their jobs. If you're considering furthering you're education at MPC, please do!! read more

The EOPS program helped me a lot. Great counselors. Great teachers and a nice campus. Always stay on top of your paperwork and ask questions! As long as you have a positive attitude and the willingness to keep on going no matter what, then you're good. I didn't have a bad experience, obviously not everyone can have the same experience. Don't be discourage if someone isn't super helpful, move on to the next program, person, department, or etc for help. An email, phone call, or etc can make a difference in your life. I definitely recommend coming to MPC. read more

I really couldn't have asked for a better school, as far as community colleges go--this one is great. I had attended Cabrillo and UCSC (for a stint) before coming to MPC to get an A.S. in Massage Therapy. (One of the few programs in the state to offer a DEGREE in MASSAGE THERAPY!) Its a small school, with a lot of resources. You get to know a lot of people , learn to dodge geese poop, and get a quality education. I'm going back this summer for other classes and couldn't be happier. read more

I have a BA from a UC campus but I recently enrolled at MPC to take a single course to brush up on some skills. I attended a few community colleges in California before transferring to get my BA and I'm pleasantly surprised by MPC. - Parking is surprisingly easy for a college or university - The students are on average more serious than what I've encountered at other community colleges - The people, both students and staff, are friendly and helpful - I enrolled in a class that's usually pretty high in demand but I was able to get in a week before the term started and I had a few options for sections - The campus is very pretty and the facilities are relatively modern - It feels more like a college and less like a high school than what I've experienced at other community colleges So far I have nothing negative to say about the school. read more

Great community college offering a variety of classes for people of all ages, backgrounds and interests. They also have a good Farmer's Market (although a lot smaller than the one on Alvarado Street on Tuesdays) on Thursdays. I was able to take advantage of some summer classes which helped me graduate with a better GPA in high school and allowed me to double major in 4 years at UCSB. Student to teach ratio can't be beat. Every teacher that I had was outstanding. read more

Start rant. I have taken many classes at four different community colleges in three different states and one other country... and I still haven't graduated, yet. I like to sample schools, cities, and states. MPC is the place that I go to school now because there is nowhere else close to my house in Monterey. In San Diego, although I hated the city, my community college was great and had a wonderful library that made sense and had helpful staff. While I did get some sort of service at MPC's library I had no idea that upstairs was the quiet area and downstairs was the lab. I thought the lab was pretty quiet one time and I got into a Larry David-esq argument with a woman about having to sign up for sitting at a table. I was studying quietly by myself... Why do I need to sign up? The front desk/librarian acted entirely pissed off when I asked her the process of how to use the printer (I wanted to print my resume for the job fair, that never happened.) If you don't like students or helping them understand how to use the library services, why do you work there in that position? I am confused... The main office, where you first go to sign up for your classes and join the school is a dirty old building (I know they're building a new one, and I'm happy about that) but the same rude old woman is going to be working that front counter in this office. She is snotty and rude for no reason. The counseling department leaves much to be desired. At my college in Washington I was able to walk in at any time to ask a question about my educational goals and future at the college. They had a computer based sign up kiosk in the hall and an office staffed with 3 or 4 people to help you if you needed face-to-face service. At MPC I have to make an appointment for another day to meet with someone who gives me opinions, and not options. If Vancouver, WA can afford a school that focuses on helping students... then Monterey can afford it, too. At least, if they're going to charge me $40-60 more per text book in their store, yes, they can. MPC needs to re-think their approach to first impressions and student directed customer service. We pay a lot to go here... well... I do, anyway. And I want a smile from time to time. I know MPC isn't a fast food joint or Walmart, I don't expect packaged/robotic service but I do expect common decency, dependability, and approachability from staff. If you must go here, and you need to take lower-level algebra math classes take Mrs. Bishops' class. She is a good, honest, teacher and one of the few reasons I've continued to go to MPC despite its lacking attributes. End rant. read more

As far as community colleges go, MPC is great! MPC has some classes that are just as good if not better than other colleges, with better instructors. Granted, there are some bad instructors at MPC, but overall, it's a great community college. The campus is also great, in a really nice and accessible location, with awesome views and well-kept grounds. I also recommend the library. It's a nice building with great study areas and very helpful staff. read more

I love this college , they made it very easy and pleasant for me to come back to school after many years . The staff and counselors are an awesome bunch and the students are very kind and helpful. The campus is easy to get around and there is always someone around to guide you to where you need to go. I will be graduating next weekend and transferring over to CSUMB and the transition has been smooth thanks to everyone here at MPC . read more

I am a military husband and went to school here for three years while my wife taught at the Defense Language Institute. Later, when our next orders were delayed, I worked here as a biology tutor. Not only is the campus beautiful with lots of trees and such, they're in the process of updating all of their buildings - the ones that are finished so far are very nice. Because Monterey is such a great place to live it attracts some pretty awesome professors of a caliber you don't normally see in a community college setting. Three stand out the most: Dr. Durstenfeld (biology), Dr. Raskoff (marine biology), and Mr. Oka (organic chemistry). After my time here I feel more than prepared to continue my education. Their biology and chemistry departments are excellent. read more

My Pretend College is a great little campus on the hill (kind of like Santa Cruz, but poorer.) -1* because I took classes in highschool here and ended up dropping 2 of them because they were conflicting with my job and HS homework - those skeezos never told me how the process works and it brought my GPA down when I went to real College. Generally speaking, there's too much HS drama carried over here. I would rather hit up Cabrillo College http://www.cabrillo.edu/ they are so much sexier up there. read more

Beautiful campus, great library, super cheap classes - I don't really have anything bad to say about MPC. I already have a graduate degree, but I was interested in taking some classes for fun. I'd heard great things about their art program, especially jewelery making, and ended up signing up for an Enameling class. I was shocked by how affordable it was to sign up. The class ended up being fabulous! The teacher was super knowledgeable and had been teaching this class for years. This class, like most of their classes are designed to fit the needs of the complete beginner along with someone who has more experience. The classroom was totally stocked with everything we could possibly need, and when I told my sister (an art major elsewhere) about everything she said it sounded amazing and was jealous. Almost all the people in the class were not full time students, and just taking the class for fun like me. As soon as the first enameling class ended, I signed up to take it again the next semester and loved it just as much. My only problem with MPC is that because I work full time, I'm very limited in class taking possibilities because a lot of them meet during the day. read more

It's my first time enrolling as a full time student and filling out FAFSA. As many of you must know, it's a confusing process. I called the Financial Aid department this morning for some guidance, and no one has ever made me feel so belittled in my life. This woman who knows nothing about me is practically yelling at me about what I did wrong on my application. Feeling so discouraged this morning, I feel like just dropping my classes. Considering you don't know the background of all your students, incoming and outgoing, you might want to try treating them with respect instead of like idiot children. Considering dropping my classes this morning, not sure if I'll be attending this fall. read more

I am a MPC Graduate and overall was disappointed with my experience at MPC. Granted this was awhile ago - I'm writing my impressions now as I see others today having the same problems I had when I went to MPC. I think MPC does the best they can with the resources they have -- in my opinion large lectures put students at a disadvantage. Student Services are almost non existent at community colleges after years of budget cuts. In my day at MPC there were still some student services personnel but my counselor screwed me so royally I decided to undertake a career as a university administrator as I thought I can do better than those clowns at MPC. My counselor had been a prison guard before coming to MPC which made him unfit as a counselor for community college students. Regardless the guy was a fool! I had a rough first year there I was in a car accident and hospitalized for several months. I was told my counselor will look out for you but he did nothing at all. I went on to become a community college, state university, and graduate school administrator working with doctoral students. I was also a department head at a CSU Campus of 27,000 students and a manager at another large CSU campus. Its is easy to blow off someone who might be critical I only mention my background so you know I've been at different colleges and universities and not just speaking as a MPC graduate... If you are in Monterey MPC is the least expensive accredited college you can attend. I had no choice I could not afford CSU but wanted to start college anyway. Let me give you some ideas how to get things done. Run with the winners. When I returned I had the same apologetic fool for a counselor but I found out who the head of the counselors was and dropped in on him to get his advice. He has retired but the idea was to work with those competent to help you. Take personal responsibility if you get screwed in registration. If you don't get what you want get close with the instructor for the course and tell them how you need this class to graduate or whatever and keep at them without being rude. They will help you if they can (with too little course funding sometimes they can't). If you don't get what you need or are treated unfairly go up the chain of command. It is easy for the person at the counter to tell you they can't help you - but if you went to their supervisor and then possibly the director they might be able to. Lower level staff don't have the authority to resolve problems of a department head, dean or director... When I was in graduate school the financial aid officer told me they could not help me out. So I went to the Vice Chancellor who was happy to help me out and who commented to me "you know I've been sending the financial aid officer's resume out with the hope someone would hire him so I don't have to deal with him"... I still recall the clowns face when I brought in my petition back approved by the Vice Chancellor! A couple of thoughts for you about community college. There are several career opportunities tied to 2 year Associate degree programs which might pay more and get you hired more easily than going after a BA. I had many friends who got teaching credentials (five years of college) who could not find jobs. Some Associate degree programs can get you jobs a couple of years earlier and with two years of less educational debt than a BA - So check them out! Keep a positive attitude - You are America's future. When you choose your educational and career moves realize they might change after your have left MPC. But if you don't reach for your dream we will suffer as a country. Don't let a poorly functioning educational system stop you from following your dream. MPC is a place to start for most. If you are going on to CSU or UC meet your GE certification at MPC if you don't it will take time and more money to meet them at a four year school holding you back. MPC can certify you met your transfer requirements which is one of the best deals in higher education. Lastly be kind to each other and help out friends who are confused by the system and pass this kindness along to someone who then can pass it on as I have done with you. My best wishes you reach your dreams (college gets easier after general education - trust me on this)... read more

Tiffany in the counseling center is amazing and so helpful!! Elizabeth in the admissions and records is so kind and patient!! Love you girls! Thanks so much for your help read more

I have degrees from USC, Georgetown, and Vanderbilt University. By far, the best education I have received was from MPC. I was an "adult learner" at age 27-28 so I was intimidated to be back in the classroom but quickly I found myself excelling in classes I never thought I would (um, hello, algebra!). The professors really want to challenge you but at the same time help you succeed. Don't be afraid to reach out to them and take advantage of an amazing and affordable educational experience. MPC is not only a great opportunity to jump start your academic career, it is also the most beautiful campus. Take advantage of studying in the library with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. It's really up to you to achieve success but MPC made it easier and more possible for me. I love that school. Seriously, after attending three top 25 universities, MPC is still my favorite. read more

Regestratin office are against veterans they made mistakes in my application and we I found out they refuse to admit it, and giving me all kind of excuses to not fix it, MPC should be pro veterans not anti veterans and military personal, don't just talk about supporting veterans with out actually giving them their educational rights, don't just put stickers on you cars saying we support veterans and troops, you don't support anyone expect your self by publicity using veterans name!!!!!!! read more

I just started taking an English class here at MPC and I am very fond of this junior college. They offer a wide variety of classes and only at $26 per unit, what a deal! I've met a lot of intelligent people here and the professors are great. Also there is a lot of cute restaurants and coffee shops to go check out after class or between breaks. I attended CSUMB for a semester and decided to drop-in full time at MPC. Hope that this helps! read more

One of the best JC's I've been to! Beautiful campus and top-par teachers! I recommend Oceanography adn Cultural Anthropology with Elias. Awesome! read more

I'm currently enrolled in an online class through this college. The instructor seems very nice and helpful. However, the website for this college is an absolute nightmare!!! If you are accepted there, you are issued a student ID# and PIN. But that is only good for a few limited things. You need a separate login/password for their email system, and if you're taking an online class like I am, then you get still another login/password. This is absolutely ridiculous!!!!!!! Whoever set up their system should be prohibited from ever touching another computer. It took three weeks of working with this college's IT person to get things squared away so I could log in to my online course. Seriously, this college's website is a disaster. It should be dismantled and re-organized so everything a student needs to do can be accomplished with ONE log-in and password. It's a good thing I am not taking any classes on campus. I'd probably be issued a log-in ID and password to use the bathrooms. read more

I'm already done and graduated from kolledge, and am now taking classes that I want to take. How liberating! Get this--I'm taking a semester of yoga for $58--that's 2 classes a week, 1.5hrs each, AND that includes parking. Compare that to +/- $90 a month for a yoga studio--it's a no brainer. The school provides mats, straps, and blocks, so all you need for class is a good attitude and some stretchy pants. My class has about 20 people in it, and I feel we all get plenty of attention from the instructor, Marvin. What a deal!! Next--ceramics! read more

I can't say enough about this place! MPC has some of the greatest instructors that I've ever had. Kezerian, Gamper, James just to name a few. This is the greatest place to start you academic career! read more

The entire campus is very friendly and very helpful. I transferred from Bakersfield college and it was a easy transition. I was in and out of community college thanks to my counselor Laron Johnson. read more

First off let me say that ALL of the teachers that I've had since attending this school have gone above and beyond to help the students succeed in the classroom. I am very pleased with the different teaching styles and their commitment to the students. With that being said, the people in administration (Student Services, Financial Aid, Registration, etc.) need to get their act together. I have never attended a school where I get the run around as much as i have here. Registering for classes was a nightmare. I could not log in correctly (not because of human error, but because of the website), so I had to go to the school and have them add me into their system. I didn't mind this one bit, but as soon as they fixed that problem, they directed me to a computer and told me to register. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I walked back into the registration office where I was told "we can not register you for your classes, you need to call on-line support." This should have been my first sign to run and go somewhere else, but I'm stubborn and decided to stick it out. After a few days, I met with a financial officer, who told me that this process would be fast and painless. This was back in June. It is now January and I have yet to finish my financial aid packet because every other week (or whenever my financial aid officer decides to do this) checks my packet and "notices" that something else is missing. This is just ridiculous. I have come out of my own pocket for classes and books in hopes of being reimbursed at some point in time. I understand that financial aid offices are busy, but I attended a JC in Virginia that had a 4 campuses and less than 6 FA officers on each campus and had my FA packet competed in less than 2 weeks. I really wish that I had this review to go off of when I first thought of attending school here because I probably would have decided on a different JC. read more

In my opinion, MPC deserves a better Administrator. Dr. Douglas Garrison seems to leave a great deal to be desired. He does not seem to be a creative thinker. He does not seem to be able to "think outside the box" He seems to do not what is best but what is easiest. read more

Great Professors... However, the way the classes are set up, you can't have an outside life or job. The scheduling will make it so you can't take the specific courses you need. This is more of a burden especially when it comes time to transferring or graduating. The final classes needed aren't available or are at very random times. Overall, this campus really needs to coordinate with their faculty to find a better structure in scheduling. The way it is now doesn't allow for people with other obligations in life, to finish in a timely manner. read more

This has to be the worst school I have ever been to, My husband is in the military and this is the closest school in my area. The counselor treated me so bad I had an appointment I'm new so I obviously wasn't sure what to do I found the counselor office to choose my classes and no one was at the check in area so I sat down and waited to be approached mind you the lady was walking around seeing that was sitting down for a while. This man walks in and says hey I have an appointment so I see her there and tell her hey I had an appointment at 10:30 am and it's already 11:30. She said oh you had to check in with us and let us know we can't take you now unless someone cancels in the most rudest way. Then she says open spots are until July we can't help you. This school has rude people in the counselor section. Makes you feel like they hate there job and don't give a damn about you or your future when there job is to care for you future and help pick you career, classes,etc. read more

I've attended MPC for three years now, and I'm preparing to graduate - the ceremony is next week! Overall, MPC has its share of good teachers, and the facilities, although somewhat dated, are in the process of being refreshed. Visually, the campus is beautiful: full of trees, and lots of greenery. Deer can be spotted in some of the parking lots! My main complaint about the school is that there are only a few helpful people, administrative-wise - you really have to work them for any useful information. Even the bookstore employees are incredibly monotone, and seem to know very little about what's going on. Case in point: A few weeks ago, I went to go buy my cap and gown in person, for the graduation ceremony; because I was led to believe they would be in stock, by an Admissions and Records specialist. When I politely inquired about buying a cap/gown set, I was told "Oh...yeah. Well...they're...not in yet. Maybe come back next week? Monday?" I think, "OK, this is reasonable. At least they told me when to come back." I say fine, and then I return on Monday morning. Again, the woman says "The gowns aren't in stock yet. We should get them soon. You can...order one though...if you want." So I fill out the pre-order form, and then I get a call three days later, to come pick it up. All is well, and I have the cap and gown; but the bookstore still, even a week from graduation, does not stock the cap/gown sets in store. This would be fine, if I was not led to believe that they are indeed stocked in the store. :( Get it together, people! Overall, getting information from some of the staff is like pulling teeth. You'd think that at least the people in administrative services would have some idea of what's going on, but they give you the runaround, too: so it must just be the way it is. (SIDENOTE: Do not, under any circumstances, buy your books from the bookstore. Please, please buy them online - the MPC "textbook buyback" is a joke: They will very rarely buy your books back for any reasonable value. I repeat, they will almost NEVER take your books back! Please save yourself the headache, and rent your books from some other source *cough*CHEGG*cough*) Their online "moodle" class system is lacking, but this might be because I just can't get used to online classes. The actual setup of class homepages is weird to try to navigate - and their official school site (mpc.edu) is awful! They've tried to streamline things to make it easier to find your way around, but you still can't find anything...not helpful at all. I never really got involved in any clubs, so I can't speak to that, but I did find the general student body pretty friendly, even if people seem kind of aloof. I must say that many of my teachers were at least "Good", if not great. I decided on English as my major, so I took a lot of literature classes. Highlights of the English Department include Ms. Tarantino; and Dr. Johnson. Tarantino will work you pretty hard, but she knows her stuff, and she's funny. Dr. Johnson's understanding, and sweet. She makes you write, but grades pretty easily. AND, if you have to take Political Science, definitely take it with Professor Banks. I thought I loved English, but I love her Intro to PoliSci just as much, if not more, than my English classes this semester and it's all because of her! I had a solid experience at MPC. Their science department remains one of their most challenging departments, but I pulled things off fairly well. Definitely take advantage of the Math Center, if you need it (although I wish they had more extensive hours) - the tutors in there are the reason I did so well in my math classes; and if you want an effective, competent counselor for advising, Ms. Muszala can't be beat. read more