Hudson Valley Community College serves approximately 13,500 students each semester, and employs more than 630 full- and part-time faculty members. Currently the second-largest institution of higher learning in the Capital Region of New York State, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 70 degree and certificate programs through its four schools: Business; Engineering & Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Although 80 percent of Hudson Valley's students come from the immediate Capital Region, the rest come from every county of New York State and many other states and foreign countries. The college ranks 52nd (as of the 2007-08 academic year) nationally in the number of associate degrees awarded annually, and has more than 65,000 alumni.

Founded in 1953, the college is sponsored by Rensselaer County and is part of the State University of New York system. The college is governed by a 10-member Board of Trustees, which is appointed by the Governor (4), the Rensselaer County Legislature (5), and elected from among the student body (1).

The college is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education and is a member of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. All of Hudson Valley's programs are registered and approved by the New York State Department of Education. In addition, several of the academic programs are accredited by specialized national professional accrediting associations, such as the National League for Nursing, the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

The college's Associate in Applied Science (AAS) and Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) programs lead to immediate employment in industry, business, government and health agencies. The college's Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Science (AS) programs lead to transfer of students to four-year colleges and universities. In addition, the college sponsors a number of certificate programs that prepare students for selected occupational specialties.

The college, through its Workforce Development Institute, coordinates customized training for many area businesses and government agencies. The Office of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions offers credit-bearing courses at convenient times and places, while the Office of Community and Professional Education offers a wide variety of non-credit and short-term courses that serve a wide range of community and professional needs and interests. More than 10,000 individuals benefit each year from the college's off-campus programs.

The campus provides extensive, state-of-the-art facilities to support its academic programs, including the Bulmer Telecommunications Center, which encompasses the latest innovations in multi-media presentation, video teleconferencing, distance learning, and instructional technology, and the McDonough Sports Complex, a 126,000-square-foot recreational facility that contains a field house and the ice rink.

As a comprehensive, full-service community college, Hudson Valley is committed to meeting the educational and training needs of diverse constituencies. Ninety-four percent of Hudson Valley graduates find immediate employment in their field or successfully transfer directly to a four-year institution following graduation.

The college's academic programs are designed to be consistent with those offered by other two-year institutions within the SUNY system, and they are designed to promote compatibility and transferability to four-year institutions. The college maintains joint admission and transfer agreements with dozens of four-year colleges and universities.

Hudson Valley Community College offers many distinctive programs, including vocational apprenticeship programs and many unique health science programs. For example, Hudson Valley's dental hygiene program is the only program of its kind within an approximate 150-mile radius.

The college provides distinctive student support services to ensure success, including the Collegiate Academic Support Program, the Learning Assistance Center, the Educational Opportunity Program, the Disability Resource Center, the Peer Tutoring Program, the Smart Start Program, and the Viking Day Care Center. Services are available to all students, whether they attend full- or part-time, or in the day or evening.