junior college

American  

noun

1. a collegiate institution offering courses only through the first one or two years of college instruction and granting a certificate of title instead of a degree.

2. a division of a college, university, or university system offering general courses during the first two years of instruction or fulfilling administrative duties applicable to freshmen and sophomores.

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junior college British  

noun

1. an educational establishment providing a two-year course that either terminates with an associate degree or is the equivalent of the freshman and sophomore years of a four-year undergraduate course

2. the junior section of a college or university

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Etymology

Origin of junior college

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

A Jordanian company had gotten him admitted to a junior college in a tiny town in Oklahoma.

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026

All five of the team’s starters began their careers at other universities, from Arizona Western junior college to North Carolina.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Enrolling at Modesto Junior College, Anthony quickly rose from fourth-stringer to featured tailback during the 2021 season, topping 100 yards rushing three times and leading all California junior college players with 17 rushing touchdowns.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025

Pavia is a 24-year-old who didn’t get a Division I offer coming out of high school and instead enrolled at junior college New Mexico Military Institute, where he played for two seasons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

After returning from Vietnam, he’d moved to Washington, DC, and enrolled in junior college.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge