Carolinas College History
- 1940's - Charlotte Memorial Hospital, now Carolinas Medical Center (CMC), provides hospital-based nursing and allied health training, forming the roots of Carolinas College.
- 1967 - The Charlotte Memorial Hospital School of Nursing closes due to increasing Charlotte community college and nursing programs.
- Late 1980's - The need for registered nurses spikes, motivating Charlotte Mecklenburg Hospital Authority (CMHA), now Atrium Health, to re-establish the School of Nursing. CMHA also opens the School of Radiologic Technology and the School of Surgical Technology.
- 1990 - A new nursing program is established at the Morehead Street campus of Carolinas Medical Center.
- 1994 - The college moves to Rankin Education Center on Blythe Boulevard on the CMC campus.
- 1995 - The CMHA School of Nursing receives initial accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to offer associate degrees.
- 1996 - The board of directors changes the name of the school to Carolinas College of Health Sciences and approves plans to incorporate other healthcare programs.
- 1997 - The medical technology program is created.
- 1999 - Nurse Aide programs are added. Enrollment jumps from 146 students to 511 in just four years.
- 2002 - The General Studies Pre-Nursing program is created.
- 2008 - The radiologic sciences program expands to include a radiation therapy program.
- 2010 - Washington Monthly ranks Carolinas College the third best two-year college in the nation
- 2011 - The college develops a degree program in General Studies with a Pre-Nursing track, also adding Anesthesia Technology and a degree program in Surgical Technology.
- 2011-2012 - The college receives consecutive number one rankings by StateUniversity.com.
- 2013 - The first Histotechnology students are accepted.
- 2014 - A Pre-Radiologic track is added, and the college begins offering fully online distance education programs.
- 2015 - WalletHub.com ranks the college in the 95th percentile of all community colleges for quality and value.
- 2017 - Carolinas College receives approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to confer baccalaureate degrees. Approval is also granted to offer the first baccalaureate degree program and first fully online degree program, the RN to BSN Nursing completion program.
- 2017 - Nursing Schools Almanac names the nursing program the ninth best in the nation.
- 2017-2018 - Forbes recognizes Carolinas College as one of the Top 30 trade colleges in the country.
- 2018 - The Neurodiagnostic Technology program receives approval to expand, while the college submits a request to SACSCOC for approval to create this program.
- 2018 - Zippia names Carolinas College the best college in North Carolina for job placement.
- 2020 - The college moves into a new home, giving students more space, improved technology and a better overall learning experience.
- 2020 - Carolinas College sees record enrollment, while average undergraduate enrollment across the country declines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2020 - A Georgetown University study ranked colleges and universities by their "return on investment." Carolinas College ranked top in North Carolina when looking at earnings 10 years after graduation.
- 2021 - Nurse Aide returns, allowing the college to meet a need within Atrium Health and other healthcare systems.
- 2021 - The college launches new programs - the Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging and a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences focused on healthcare simulation, which also includes a certificate option.
- 2021 - Carolinas College is named #14 in the U.S. by Newsweek for "most bang for your buck" among colleges with associate degrees and certificates.
- Today and Always - Carolinas College remains poised to grow with the needs of Atrium Health, continually guiding the next generation of healthcare providers, innovators and leaders.