Colby Community College Agriculture

• January 14, 2026
• Newsletter Article

Colby Community College delivers hands-on agricultural education through cutting-edge facilities, a working farm, industry?driven programs, and expert faculty. Students gain real-world skills in beef production, equine science, veterinary nursing, agribusiness, and more—graduating ready for in-demand ag careers.

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A Leader in Agricultural Education

 

Located in 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 has consistently owned the highest retention and graduation rates among Kansas community colleges, and the agricultural division is a significant contributor.

 

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 instructors, 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. Students can earn one-year certificates or applied science degrees.

 

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 offer both on-campus and distance learning programs. Students gain hands-on experience in new 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 local access to species can attend optional “Fly-In” weekends in Colby each semester for in-person mentorship in large-animal, exotic-pet, and microbiology courses. Part-time and full-time curricula are available, beginning in either the fall or spring semester or in the summer.

 

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, 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 and 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.

 

Ready to start your agricultural career journey? Learn more about Colby Community College and its programs here: https://www.agcareers.com/ag-education/education-partners/colby-community-college-company-290695.cfm#gsc.tab=0