History of Macon State College
Macon State College began in 1965, when the University System of Georgia's Board of Regents passed a resolution to create a public two-year college to serve Bibb, Houston, Peach, Crawford, Monroe, Jones and Twiggs counties. The voters of Bibb County approved a bond issue to fund the college, and 168 acres of wooded land were selected in West Macon. When it opened in fall 1968, Macon Junior College became the twenty-fifth institution in the University System of Georgia. Its charter class was 1,110 students, the largest enrollment ever for a new state college in Georgia.
In 1970, the Board of Regents directed Macon Junior College to serve civilian and military employees at Robins Air Force Base. The Robins Resident Center, located on the base, was then established.
In June 1987, the Board of Regents approved a name change to Macon College. In 1991, Macon College began serving Houston County and surrounding areas with the Warner Robins Center, located in the Advanced Technology Park.
The Regents expanded the mission of the College in 1996 to include technological and professional programs at the baccalaureate level, and the next year the institution was officially renamed Macon State College. The charter baccalaureate class graduated in May 1999 with degrees in Information Technology, Health Information Management, and Health Services Administration. The number of bachelor’s degrees the College offered grew steadily and drove dramatic enrollment increases.
In 2003, Macon State established the Warner Robins campus on Watson Boulevard. In 2007, the College underwent a major academic reorganization from divisions into schools, and in 2010, it became a residential college through the acquisition of the apartments now known as College Station.
By 2012, Macon State offered 18 bachelor’s degrees with 33 majors and concentrations. Between 1999 and 2012, it awarded more than 3,000 bachelor’s degrees to its students. Macon State College’s fall 2012 enrollment was 5,780 students.