Cerritos College is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior s ...

Norwalk, California Norwalk is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 105,549 at the 2010 census and an estimated 103,949 in 2019. It is the 58th most densely-populated city in California. Founded in the late 19th century, Nor ...

. It offers degrees and certificates in 87 areas of study in nine divisions.

History

The college was founded in 1955. It was named after

Rancho Los Cerritos :''This article refers to the land grant. For the Rancho Los Cerritos adobe, see Los Cerritos Ranch House'' Rancho Los Cerritos was a 1834 land grant in present-day southern Los Angeles County and Orange County, California The grant was the res ...

, a local ranch in the 19th century. In turn the college was part of the inspiration for the renaming of the neighboring city of Dairy Valley to Cerritos. The district covers Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Norwalk, La Mirada, and Hawaiian Gardens. Originally, classrooms were rented in the now defunct Excelsior High School in September 1956. On July 24, 1957, the Cerritos Junior College District won the case against Dairy Valley (now Cerritos) to use the undeveloped land as an educational site. In September 1959, the college moved from Excelsior High School to the current site.

Organization and administration

The founder was Ralph Burnight of Redlands, a resident of Bellflower and superintendent of the Excelsior School District. The current college president is Dr. Jose Fierro.

Campus modernization

On February 15, 2017, the school opened two new buildings: a new Math and Computer Information Sciences building, and a Fine Arts complex. Together, the new facilities cost over $55 million and were funded by Measure G bond dollars.

Housing

On June 11, 2020, Cerritos became the first California community college to have housing for students without a place to live or with uncertain housing.

Athletics

Notable alumni

Bob Apodaca Robert John Apodaca (; born January 31, 1950) is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher, and an assistant to Colorado Rockies General manager Jeff Bridich. Since 2013, he has worked with pitchers in the Rockies' lower-level minor league ...

–

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...

retired pitching coach * Marcelo Balboa – US National soccer team captain *

Rod Barajas Rodrigo Richard Barajas (born September 5, 1975) is an American former professional baseball catcher and most recently catching and quality control coach for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Barajas served as the interim mana ...

–

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...

catcher /

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

Quality Control Coach *

Bret Barberie Bret Edward Barberie (born August 16, 1967) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago Cubs. Before his professional career, B ...

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Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

player * Mike Benjamin – Major League Baseball infielder *

Corey Bojorquez Corey Bojorquez ( ; born September 13, 1996) is an American football punter for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Cerritos College before transferring to New Mexico, and signed with the Ne ...

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Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...

punter * Rich Camarillo – former

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

player * John Corbett – actor * Eric Draper – personal photographer for US President George W. Bush *

Fou Fonoti Fouimalo "Fou" Fonoti (born November 15, 1991) is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. Fonoti first enrolled at Cerritos College before transferring to Michigan State University. He has also been a member of the S ...

– former American football player *

John Force John Harold Force (born May 4, 1949 in Bell Gardens, California) is an American NHRA drag racer. He is a 16-time NHRA and 1 time AHRA Funny Car champion driver and a 22-time champion car owner. Force owns and drives for John Force Racing (J ...

– NHRA Funny car driver * Joe Gibbs – former

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...

head coach * George Horton –

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc Nike, Inc. ( or ) is a ...

former baseball coach * T. J. Houshmandzadeh – former

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...

wide receiver * Brian Hunter – Major League Baseball former infielder *

Kareem Larrimore Kareem Maktrel Larrimore (born April 21, 1976 in Los Angeles, California) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round (109th over ...

– former

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...

cornerback * Bobby Magallanes –

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...

assistant hitting coach *

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...

– musician *

Houston McTear Houston McTear (February 12, 1957 – November 1, 2015) was an American sprinter, who emerged from desperate poverty in the Florida Panhandle to become an international track star in the mid-1970s. McTear rated in the top 10 in the 100 meters f ...

– former world record sprinter * Louie Medina – Major League Baseball * Steve Mooshagian – American football player and college football coach, National Football League coach *

Grace Napolitano Graciela Flores "Grace" Napolitano (; born December 4, 1936) is an American Democratic Party politician who has represented California's San Gabriel Valley and other parts of Los Angeles County in the United States House of Representatives sinc ...

– U.S. Representative *

Emanuel Newton Emanuel Newton (born February 1, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division, where he is a former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion. He has also competed for WEC, King of the ...

– (attended) professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

* Tom Nieto – Major League Baseball former catcher, coach * Damacio Page – state champion wrestler; current

, formerly for the WEC and the UFC * Elijhaa Penny – National Football League player *

Tupe Peko Siitupe Marcus "Tupe" Peko, (born September 19, 1978) is a former American Football offensive guard. Peko attended La Serna High School and first played at the collegiate level at Cerritos College before transferring to Michigan State Universit ...

– National Football League former player * Bao Quach – wrestler; Professional

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

fighter * D. J. Reed –

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...

defensive back * Rodney Allen Rippy – actor * Lorenzo Romar – former

Washington Huskies The Washington Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac ...

head basketball coach * Bubby Rossman – major league baseball pitcher for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

John Saul John Saul (born February 25, 1942) is an American author of suspense and horror novels. Most of his books have appeared on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller List. . Biography Born in Pasadena, Saul grew up in Whittier, California, and grad ...

– horror author *

Jeff Tedford Jeffrey Raye Tedford (born November 2, 1961) is an American football coach and former player who is currently serving as the head coach at Fresno State, a position which he also previously held from 2017 to 2019. From 2002 to 2012, Tedford was t ...

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Fresno State Bulldogs The Fresno State Bulldogs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent California State University, Fresno (commonly referred to as Fresno State). The university is a member of NCAA Division I's Mountain West Conference (MW). It was a ...

head coach (note: Tedford graduated from California State University, Fresno State) * Dusty Wathan – third base coach for the

* Herb Welch – former New York Giants player * Ray Wersching – former

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...

kicker *

Craig Worthington Craig Richard Worthington (born April 17, 1965) is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1988 and 1996, for the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and ...

– former Major League Baseball third baseman * Kirk Jellerson – college football coach * Demetrin Veal –

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...

former defensive tackle *

Bobby Lane Bobby Allen Lane (born October 30, 1939) is a former American football linebacker who played in eight games over two seasons with the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the elevent ...

– former American football player * Broderick Thompson – former National Football League player * Tom Tolbert – radio sports talk host and former NBA player *

Rhamondre Stevenson Rhamondre Stevenson (born February 23, 1998) is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma, where he was a bowl game MVP, and was selected by the ...

–

running back *

A.J. McKee A. J. McKee (born April 7, 1995) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Featherweight and Lightweight division, where he is the former Bellator Featherweight Champion. As of February 28, 2023, he is #4 in the Bel ...

– former

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Global. ...

featherweight champion * Ron Yary – former

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

offensive tackle, member of

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

Han Ye-seul Han Ye-seul (Hangul: 한예슬; born Leslie Kim on September 18, 1981) is an American-born South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in the sitcom '' Nonstop 4'' (2003), and has since played leading roles in television dramas such as ''Co ...

– South Korean actress * Steve Seungjun Yoo – Korean-American singer * Jim Zorn – former

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...

quarterback and

head coach

References

External links

* {{authority control California Community Colleges Cerritos, California Educational institutions established in 1955 Norwalk, California Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Universities and colleges in Los Angeles County, California 1955 establishments in California