Anoka-Ramsey to Celebrate 60 Years

July 16, 2025

During the 2025-2026 academic year, Anoka-Ramsey Community College will celebrate its 60th anniversary. Six decades in, the college continues its critical work providing extraordinary, affordable and accessible education. 

Though a lot has changed since 1965, President Kent Hanson says some of the core reasons Anoka-Ramsey students start an education journey remain the same.  

“We all come here for a reason to better ourselves, to get better jobs and grow and learn. I think that’s important,” Hanson says. “Our students also come here to find themselves, figure out what they want to be, what they want to do and explore different subjects.”  

Selected Historical Highlights 

Evolving to meet the needs of its students, the college has added programs, resources and facilities through the years. Through those efforts, more than 240,000 students have attended the college.  

While change and uncertainty have presented unique challenges, the college has remained committed to offering broad access to the communities it serves. 

1965: Anoka-Ramsey Community College Opened: "Centennial Campus of Metropolitan State Junior College" opened its doors temporarily at Centennial School District in Circle Pines with 579 students, tuition at $5 per credit hour, Dr. Emil Wilken as president, and sports teams called the Meteors. 

1978: Cambridge Campus opened: Cambridge Campus opens as East Central Community College Service Center at Cambridge in a wing of the Cambridge Memorial Hospital 

2017: College named Aspen Top 10 Community College: Anoka-Ramsey was recognized as one of the top 10 finalists for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s preeminent recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges. 

View College History & Facts