Visalia Campus

915 South Mooney Boulevard
Visalia, California 93277

College of the Sequoias in Visalia was originally established as Visalia Junior College (VJC) in 1926 at the site which later became Redwood High School. With demand growing for local opportunities to obtain college education, VJC opened in a small section of the high school campus to provide lower division curriculum to students in preparation for transfer to a public or private university. The local school superintendent oversaw administration, and several of the faculty members taught both high school and college courses. Initially, 63 students attended VJC, with bus service provided for students traveling from nearby towns – Dinuba, Tulare, Orosi, Exeter, Strathmore, and Woodlake.

As the college’s enrollment neared 500 students, leaders decided that it was necessary to open a campus exclusively for college students. The 50-acre campus on Mooney Boulevard was opened in 1940, which at the time was seen by many as too far out of town and too large for local demand. In 1949, the name of the “jaycee” was officially changed to College of the Sequoias. 

Today, the 62-acre Visalia campus enjoys the benefits anticipated by its prescient founders. State-of-the-art classrooms and learning centers complemented by ample athletic, vocational and performing arts facilities make the campus one of the premier, post-secondary institutions in the Central Valley.

Tulare Campus

4999 East Bardsley Avenue
Tulare, California 93274

The College of the Sequoias (COS) Tulare Campus is the newest of the three campuses in the COS District. The campus offers a full range of general education courses and provides the classrooms, laboratories, library, counseling, and student support services students need to achieve their goals of transfer, an associate degree, or a certificate. More than 30 full-time faculty members and numerous adjunct instructors teach in disciplines such as architecture, mathematics, English, science, communication, and welding.

COS Tulare is home to the Agriculture Division, which offers programs in agricultural business management, equipment technician, animal science, horticulture, water management, plant science, and veterinary assisting. The campus also hosts the Equestrian Team and maintains livestock facilities—including a reproductive physiology lab, pastures, riding arena, pavilion, and barns—that provide hands-on experience in animal care, livestock management, and production.

Situated on 495 acres, the campus features modern classrooms and science laboratories, as well as a working 320-acre farm that serves as a living laboratory for students. These facilities support hands-on learning in areas such as fabrication, equipment operation, emerging agricultural and industrial technologies, integrated pest management, irrigation design, and greenhouse management.

In January 2025, COS opened the 70,000-square-foot Applied Technology and Trades Complex, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to preparing students for high-demand skilled trades that support the regional economy. Programs in the complex include automotive technology, construction technology, electrician training, environmental control technology (HVAC), equipment technology, industrial maintenance, industrial automation, and welding.

COS Tulare provides a full range of student services, including library and tutoring services, financial aid, academic counseling, Access and Ability support services, and a health center. Students can also receive résumé and job search assistance through the Career Center and participate in the Student Success Program for individualized guidance throughout their college journey.

Hanford Educational Center

925 13th Avenue
Hanford, California 93230

The COS Hanford Educational Center offers courses ranging from transfer courses to career technical education courses. The transfer classes include general education requirements such as history, political science, English, math, communications, sociology, psychology, and business/computers, foreign languages, and science. 

Career Technical Education programs offered the Hanford campus are Police Training, Fire Training, Industrial Maintenance, Electrician Training, and Certified Nursing Assistant. The two POST Basic Police academies are offered in an intensive format which meet typically Monday - Friday, with some exceptions. The firefighter academy is offered each Spring semester. 

Additionally, COS Hanford can meet a variety of student services needs at the Hanford Hub located in the Vocational Building. Services that can be obtained at the Hub include, but are not limited to: transcripts, financial aid, Student Body Identification Cards, Activity Benefit Stickers, transit passes, counseling appointments, and assessment tests.

Other services available for students at COS Hanford include the following: computers which are located in the library and available for student use, a Health Center, and regularly scheduled visits by personnel from the Access and Ability Center, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services, Work Experience, Veterans Resource Center, and Cal Works departments.