College brands – What’s in a name? Everything

Would you rather go to Contra Costa Community College or Contra Costa College? How about Vista Community College or Berkeley City College? Building a brand derives from understanding how names are perceived and what meaning is attached to them. And over time, this changes for the market and your target audience.

The evolution of community colleges is a fascinating one. Originally known as “junior colleges”, they were created to help adjust to the overwhelming amount of G.I.s returning home from WWII and able to attend college, according to the G.I. Bill. The junior college system became an enormous resource for providing education at a low cost to a large number of people. Fast forward to the 1980s and the name shifted from “junior” to “community” colleges. These, after all, are for the community they serve. Now in 2014, the world has changed again as the term “community” is increasingly regarded as limited in scope. Many of these colleges now offer bachelor degrees and want to graduate (no pun intended) to names that convey a sense of prestige and value to a broader market of students seeking a 4-year education. With this in mind, many of these institutions are selecting names that imply more sophisticated associations, important locations, or a clear history and legacy.

The Wall Street Journal recently featured a good list of community college name changes over the past 10 years.t’s fascinating what schools have done. The list demonstrates the trend toward simple names that can imply the status of a private college or institution.

View Wall Street Journal List of College Name Changes

With community colleges taking on a bigger  role in higher education because of the rising cost of four year institutions and the need for in-depth technical training, these institutions are competing for students. And their name can symbolize what the school offers.

This scenario is exemplified by  the growth of Vista Community College in the San Francisco Bay Area. In fact, it wasn’t so long ago that Vista Community College didn’t even have a campus, just rotating office spaces. In 1999, they finally passed a measure that funded a real building in the heart of downtown Berkeley. When the campus was established, a smart move was made: the name was changed to Berkeley City College. Because of their location in Berkeley and the association with the University of California, Berkeley drew students from everywhere. Out of 175 community colleges, Berkeley City College now boasts the highest transfer rate of community college students to U.C. campuses.

Now, we can’t claim that the name of Berkeley City College alone accounts for all the changes, since the new campus and expanded curriculum are also key to its success, but the name is a strong symbol of what the school stands for.