Central Alabama Community College
Open since 2022, the Prattville campus of Central Alabama Community College sits on 124 acres in the city.
The college is a public, two-year institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges with four campuses in Childersburg, Talladega, Alexander City and Prattville.
Student enrollment at Central Alabama reached 3,050 students during the 2024–2025 academic year and saw a 45% jump over the last four years.
The college maintains a 17:1 student-to-instructor ratio, and during the 2024-2025 school year, it awarded 409 diplomas and certificates.
At Central Alabama Community College, students can choose among 14 degree programs to earn an associate of arts degree, an associate of science degree or credentials in one of the many career technical programs.
Specialty programs include a Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education chapter set to launch in fall 2026 with support from more than 20 local companies. The college’s Skills for Success programs provide training in fields such as truck driving, heavy equipment, carpentry, manufactured housing, hospitality and more.
But for students wanting to complete their high-school education, Central Alabama Community College’s Adult Education program offers classes where they can earn a high-school diploma or GED while gaining digital literacy and job-readiness skills.
This year, CACC’s Adult Education program launched a new initiative called Setbacks to Scholarships in partnership with the Elmore County Juvenile Court and the Elmore County Family Resource Center. The program will give justice-involved youth the chance to continue their education and prepare for the workforce.Â
Dual enrollment has surged by more than 98% in the last four years, supported by strong partnerships with Autauga County Schools and Elmore County Schools, say school officials. The college also has launched a dual enrollment program with Prattville Christian Academy.
Earlier this year, the college broke ground on a 50,000-square-foot Center of Excellence for Innovation and Technology, a major investment set to open in summer 2027. Once complete, the center will feature labs, workspaces and training environments designed to prepare students for high-demand careers and support workforce needs across Central Alabama.
CACC’s commitment to student life also is expanding. Beginning in Fall 2026, the college will introduce new athletic programs, including volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country and women’s flag football.
J.F. Ingram State Technical College
J.F. Ingram State Technical College, in Deatsville in Elmore County, is the only educational institution exclusively for students in the Alabama state corrections system. The college offers adult education and GED preparation programs, soft-skills classes and 19 career technical programs for 17 correctional facilities and 12 Alabama Bureau of Paroles facilities. All classes are held within prison grounds and facilities.
Students enrolled in Ingram State’s career technical program can earn certification in fields such as automotive mechanics, automotive body repair, carpentry, barbering, cosmetology, electrical technology, logistics, utility tree trimming, welding, cabinetmaking, HVAC, office administration and plumbing. Students also can earn their credentials in OSHA-10 general safety and forklift operation.
Ingram State’s career technical training program’s stated aim is to raise graduates’ chances for landing jobs and lowering the rate of recidivism.
Each year, nearly 3,000 students attend classes at Ingram State, which is accredited by the Alabama Community College System. Last fall, Ingram State reported a 33.3% increase in enrollment from the previous year.
In July, Ingram State became the first college in Alabama to win a Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grant, a competitive award that supports training in the trades. The college will use the grant to purchase virtual reality simulation software and offer more shop learning opportunities to give students more simulated, workplace experiences to be job ready.
Then, in October, the Ingram State Technical College Foundation hosted the 8th annual Golf Scramble at the Robert Trent Jones Capitol Hill Golf Course. Thirty-two teams participated in the event, which raised money to support Ingram State’s education, training and job placement programs.
In July 2024, Ingram State’s Draper Instructional Service Center hosted a job and resource fair with several dozen vendors from around the state participating. The event was open to more than 200 Ingram State graduates who talked with the vendors about job possibilities once they completed their sentences.
This article appears in the January 2026 issue of Business Alabama.
