Since Bergen’s establishment in Paramus by the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1963 and its subsequent opening in 1968, eight presidents have led the State of New Jersey’s largest community college, prioritizing the hallmarks of a community college education: quality, access and affordability for all who seek lifelong learning opportunities.

The College ranks No. 1 in the state for associate degree graduates; alumni have attended the country’s most prestigious universities, including all eight Ivy League institutions. More than 740,000 students have taken classes at Bergen, with countless others visiting for community and cultural events.

Resources include the Henry and Edith Cerullo Learning Assistance Center, which has twice earned recognition as the “tutoring center of the year.” The College’s Paramus main campus features vast physical resources including the Technology Education Center (opened 2003), the region’s only Health Professions Integrated Teaching Center (opened 2016) and the nation-leading STEM Student Research Center (opened 2019).

Finally, Bergen’s personnel represent an institutional strength, highlighted by the 2015 U.S. Professor of the Year, as named by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.