Wilkes Community College

Wilkes Community College is known for its serene mountain surroundings, lush gardens; recreational and cultural amenities; and a world-renowned roots music festival, MerleFest, which serves as the WCC Foundation’s largest fundraiser each year.

Wilkes Community College, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Brushy Mountains, was founded in October 1964 by the North Carolina Board of Education. Today, Wilkes Community College’s service area, comprising Wilkes, Ashe, and Alleghany counties, covers 1,423 square miles with a population of approximately 108,000 residents. It has multiple locations and a 1,100-seat cultural arts facility. The Wilkes Campus now comprises 17 buildings and 151.7 acres. WCC also has an Ashe Campus, an Alleghany Center; a North Wilkesboro Center for the College Readiness Division; and Herring Hall, an integrated health science center.