The high school-based community college, as first developed at Central High School in Joliet, Illinois, was the most successful type of addition.

In 1920, the American Association of Junior Colleges (AAJC) was founded. Today, this organization is the American Association of Community Colleges and is the national organization for community colleges in America.

There are nearly 1,100 community colleges in America, enrolling more than 10 million students annually.