Jefferson State Chilton-Clanton Campus
Birmingham-based Jefferson State Community College celebrated its 60th anniversary in the 2025-2026 academic year. The college serves approximately 15,000 students each year at four campuses in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Chilton counties. The college, along with its students and alumni, contributes more than $485Â million annually in income to its four-county service area. For every dollar spent on Jefferson State, the community receives roughly $19 in benefits.
Jefferson State’s Chilton-Clanton campus offers a variety of dual enrollment classes and career and technical education programs with flexible day, night, online and in-person class options. The college also has articulation agreements with several institutions to help its students transfer to four-year universities. The school’s fast-track short certificate programs provide non-credit workforce training that can be completed in six weeks to six months. Areas of training include welding, IT, commercial driver’s license, line worker, heavy equipment operation, web development, certified nursing assistant, medical assistant and pharmacy technician.
The college plans to expand dual enrollment opportunities and offer more workforce training in the community. A new welding lab and classes at the Chilton-Clanton campus will be available in January 2027, and a renovation to the college’s nursing wing will open in August. The college also is partnering with the Chilton County School District for a new $10.5 million technical education center scheduled to open in 2028.
Jefferson State and the city of Clanton operate the Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center, a multipurpose event, trade show and performance venue adjacent to the Chilton-Clanton campus.
This article appears in the August 2026 issue of Business Alabama.
