El Camino College
| Type | Public community college |
|---|---|
| Established | 1947 |
| President | Brenda Thames[1] |
| Students | 22,654[2] |
| Location | Alondra Park and Torrance , U.S. 33°53′09″N 118°19′50″W / 33.885881°N 118.330457°W |
| Campus | Urban, 26 acres (11 ha) |
| Student newspaper | The Union |
| Colors | Blue & gray |
| Nickname | Warriors |
| Website | www |
El Camino College (Elco or ECC) is a public community college in Los Angeles County, California. Most of it is in Alondra Park,[3][4] while a section is in the city limits of Torrance.[5] It consists of 37 buildings spanning an area of roughly 26 acres (11 ha). It is one of two community colleges serving Southern California's South Bay area.
The El Camino Community College District was officially established on July 1, 1947. As of 2019, the college served approximately 23,000 students within the El Camino Community College District, including the communities of Alondra Park, Carson, Del Aire, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Ladera Heights, Lawndale, Lennox, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, View Park–Windsor Hills.[6] El Camino College offers 2,500 classes in 85 programs, including vocational, undergraduate, and honors courses, many available in online and televised formats for distance education.
Student demographics
| Ethnic Breakdown | 2018[7] | 2017[8] |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic and Latino American | 53% | 53% |
| Black | 13% | 14% |
| Asian American | 13% | 15% |
| White | 13% | 13% |
| Multiracial Americans | 5% | 4% |
| International students | 2% | Nil |
| Unknown | Nil | 1% |
| Female | 51% | 52% |
| Male | 49% | 48% |
Total Students: 24,349[9]
| Age | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 17 or younger | 1,289 | 5% |
| 18 to 19 | 6,293 | 27% |
| 20 to 24 | 9,452 | 40% |
| 25 to 29 | 3,193 | 13% |
| 30 to 39 | 2,131 | 8% |
| 40 to 49 | 850 | 3% |
| 50 or older | 840 | 4% |
| Enrollment Level | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Full-Time | 7,632 | 31% |
| Part-Time | 16,715 | 69% |
Campus media
KECC radio station
The college hosts one radio station, KECC. The first time KECC was actually on the air experimentally was Career Day, April 27, 1994. The operation lasted only four hours, from 9 am to 1 pm. On November 11, 1994, KECC signed on the air for the first time as a regularly scheduled carrier current broadcast station. At that time, the frequency used was 1620 kHz. In the fall of 2000 KECC changed frequency from 1200 kHz to 1500 kHz.
Athletics
Built in 1958, Murdock Stadium hosts some of the schools athletic programs.
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Badminton |
| Basketball | Basketball |
| Cross Country | Beach volleyball |
| Football | Cross country |
| Golf | Soccer |
| Soccer | Softball |
| Swimming and diving | Swimming and diving |
| Tennis | Tennis |
| Track and field | Track and field |
| Volleyball | Volleyball |
| Water polo | Water polo |
In media
The college campus has been used as a filming location since at least the 1970s. Visitors to the IBM pavilion at the 1964-65 World's Fair in New York City saw an Eames film that featured El Camino coach Kenneth Swearingen and the school football team.[10] Among other films shot in part at the college are:
- All American
- Cheaper by the Dozen (2003 remake)
- Crime After Crime
- The Circle
- The Dark Knight Rises
- The Longest Yard (2005 remake)
- Visiting... with Huell Howser Episode 513[11]
Performing arts
El Camino College has a 2,000-seat auditorium, a 350-seat campus theatre, and the 190-seat Robert Hagg Recital Hall.[12] The Marsee Auditorium is the venue for the South Bay Ballet's annual production of The Nutcracker,[13] and is known for showcasing dance and opera companies, traveling artists, and other Broadway, film and television veterans, such as Shirley Jones[14] and Gregory Hines.[15] The Marsee Auditorium as well as the other on-campus venues also host El Camino College resident performers.
Schauerman Library
The Schauerman Library serves as the research center of the college. The library houses the El Camino College archives.
Notable alumni
Some of the college's notable alumni include Alan Jardine and Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys,[16] Suge Suge Knight who is the CEO and founder of Death Row Records,[17]
Notable faculty
- John DeMita, theater professor
- Fitzhugh Dodson, psychology professor from 1959
- George Gerbner, communications professor from 1952 to 1956
- Kim Krizan, English professor
- Julius Sumner Miller, physics professor from 1953 to 1970
- Al Muratsuchi, political science professor[18]
- April Ross, beach volleyball coach[19]
- Ambrose Schindler, American football coach
See also
References
- ^ "El Camino Community College District Board of Trustees Names Dr. Brenda Thames Superintendent/President of el Camino College".
- ^ "California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office - Data Mart". Datamart.cccco.edu. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ^ "Alondra Park CDP, California Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
- ^ "Torrance city, California Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
- ^ "Adopted Council Election Districts". City of Torrance. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ "El Camino Community College District" (PDF). elcamino.edu. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ^ "2018 USNEWS: El Camino Community College Overview".
- ^ "Facts and Figures of ECC" (PDF).
- ^ "ECC Facts and Figures" (PDF).
- ^ Kresal, Steve (November 22, 1994). "Swearingen's Retirement From Saddleback Is Straight, Simple". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "El Camino College – Visiting (513) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University". November 8, 2017.
- ^ "Center for the Arts". www.elcamino.edu. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ^ "Main Stage Performances 2014-2015 Season". Elcamino.edu. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ^ "Main Stage Performances, 2004–2005 Season". www.elcamino.edu. Archived from the original on September 22, 2006. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ^ "Special Concerts Fall 2002 Season". www.elcamino.edu. Archived from the original on September 22, 2006. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
- ^ Roy Moore (April 26, 2012). "The Beach Boys- After two decades the band reunites for their global 'Celebration' tour". The Union: El Camino College.
- ^ "Where are they now?". The Union: El Camino College. March 7, 2012.
- ^ Elliott Bullock II (September 30, 2024). "California State Representative Al Muratsuchi hired to teach political science at El Camino College". The Union. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
- ^ Greg Fontanilla (September 26, 2024). "Three-time Olympic medalist April Ross named coach of El Camino beach volleyball program". The Union. Retrieved May 4, 2025.