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

He was sitting in the mid-90s as a high-schooler in the suburbs of Kansas City and reached 100 while pitching in junior college, as he grew into his 6-foot-7 frame.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

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

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026

Poko, a former high school and junior college defensive lineman whose career was cut short by a foot injury, was in the latter group.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026

That’s why he had no problem Wednesday signing a junior college player from Switzerland, right-handed pitcher Fabio Bundi, who has a 95-mph fastball.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

The second-eldest child, Buddy, was what is known in campus-catalogue parlance as “writer-in-residence” at a girls’ junior college in upper New York State.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger