Colby Community College Agriculture: Hands-On Learning, Industry Connections, and State-of-the-Art Facilities

• September 30, 2025
• Newsletter Article

Colby Community College is a national leader in hands-on agricultural education, offering students real-world experience on a 60-acre farm and in state-of-the-art facilities. From beef production and equine science to veterinary nursing and agribusiness, CCC prepares future ag leaders with skills, confidence, and career-ready connections.

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A Leader in Agricultural Education

 

Located in the heart of northwest Kansas, Colby Community College is nationally recognized for its commitment to hands-on, real-world agricultural education. With a 57-acre campus and a 60-acre working farm, CCC provides students with the opportunity to learn in an immersive environment that prepares them for careers in production agriculture, agribusiness, veterinary medicine, and beyond. Colby consistently holds the highest retention and graduation rates among Kansas community colleges, and its agricultural division is a significant contributor to this achievement.

 

Since 2020, the institution has made significant investments in its agricultural programs by introducing new certificates and tracks, adding and renovating facilities, enhancing remote learning options, and hiring additional faculty. Students benefit from small class sizes, direct mentorship from expert faculty, and industry certifications that translate into immediate employability.

 

Programs That Build Future Ag Leaders

 

Beef Production and Feedyard Certificate

CCC’s beef program provides students with access to registered Angus herds, AI and BQA certification, and a unique performance bull test and sale that generates real-world industry data. Students are involved with calving, pregnancy detection, vaccinations, and herd management while also learning to operate feed wagons, collect carcass data, and manage nutrition programs.

 

Equine Science and Horse Production

With a teaching herd of 40 horses, Colby's equine students experience everything from foaling and breeding to training and event management. Courses include equine massage therapy, breeding (AI), and advanced training techniques, ensuring graduates are job-ready for careers as trainers, breeding specialists, and equine health professionals.

 

Veterinary Nursing

Colby is one of a handful of AVMA-accredited programs that offers both on-campus and distance learning programs. Students gain hands-on experience in new state-of-the-art facilities with college-owned animals while learning surgery, anesthesia, radiology, dentistry, and rehabilitation skills. Distance learning students from across the nation gain experience by working with local veterinary hospitals and completing coursework online. Students without access to species locally can attend optional “Fly-In” weekends in Colby each semester for in-person mentorship in large animal, exotic pet, and microbiology courses.

 

Transfer and Agribusiness Programs

Because of transfer agreements with state universities, students pursuing an Associate of Science degree can transition seamlessly and earn a bachelor’s degree in agronomy, animal science, agricultural education, and other related disciplines.

 

Opportunities Beyond the Classroom

 

CCC believes education extends past textbooks. Students engage in:

 

• Collegiate Farm Bureau Chapter – Kansas’ largest collegiate ag chapter, with a record of state-level recognition.

 

• Equestrian and rodeo teams – Competing regionally and nationally in IHSA and NIRA events.

 

• Livestock Judging Team – Competing in more than a dozen national contests annually.

 

• Student Veterinary Nursing Association – An active chapter of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America.

 

• Ag Division Events – From the CCC Classic Spring Livestock Show to the annual Bull Sale and annual Highway 24 cleanup three times a year, and the community pet wash held twice a semester, students actively serve and educate the community.

 

 

Investing in Facilities

Colby's recent infrastructure upgrades included installing nearly 9,000 feet of fence and hauling in thousands of square feet of dirt to fix drainage issues at the college farm, located three miles east of town. The farm's equine unit features two outdoor riding arenas, a fully equipped breeding laboratory, foaling stalls, and a heated wash rack. Students in the beef unit learn in a state-of-the-art teaching and breeding facility featuring AI breeding stations, hydraulic chutes, a sale ring, and advanced Vytelle Sense feed efficiency monitoring systems that provide students with valuable, data-driven learning experiences.

 

On campus, the Lon Frahm Agricultural Center, which opened in 2023, provides students with 12,400 square feet of classroom and laboratory space, as well as offices for 16 faculty members. The 2023 renovation of the Stanley Carr Agricultural Center now accommodates veterinary nursing, featuring a large treatment room, surgical suite, dental suite, radiology room, animal housing area with rooms for dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds, rodents, and other exotic animals, a large animal room with pens and stocks, and a physical rehabilitation area for dogs.

 

A Culture of Challenge, Creation, and Connection

 

Whether students are feeding cattle at sunrise, delivering foals, practicing for national livestock judging contests, assisting a veterinarian with surgery, or caring for rabbits, they graduate with the confidence, skills, and network to succeed in a competitive industry.

 

Learn more about Colby Community College on AgCareer's Education Partners page!