Office of the President
Todd Hampton, Ed.D.
Acting Superintendent/President
West Kern Community College District/Taft College
Welcome to Taft College! We are honored and excited that you have selected our college to achieve your degree or certificate, or to increase your knowledge in your career. Your success is our number one priority! As your Taft College family, we are fully committed to supporting your academic, career, and personal goals.
Taft College has a long and distinguished history of creating a real-world learning environment that will allow you to explore, thrive, and achieve in your areas of interest. We offer over 75 degree and certificate programs and career training opportunities. For over 100 years, Taft College students have been achieving their educational goals and succeeding beyond their wildest dreams.
Taft College, the jewel of California Community Colleges, has a rich and caring culture that supports academic excellence, innovation, diversity, equity, inclusion, and community partnerships. Our faculty are student-success-focused scholars who are widely recognized for their many substantive and enduring contributions in our service region and well beyond, spearheading and nurturing initiatives that are relevant, responsive, and impactful. You have made an excellent choice by selecting Taft College.
In our service region, Taft College creates value for our students and community members in many ways. We play a key role in helping our students to increase their employability and achieve their individual potential. For every single dollar you spend on your education here at Taft College, we estimate you’ll gain five dollars in higher earnings. If you earn your associate degree from Taft College, your annual earnings potential will increase. Recent studies indicate that community members who earn an associate degree from a California Community College realize an increase in annual earnings of $11,100, compared to holding only a high school diploma—that’s $388,500 more in earnings over a 35-year period! Finally, if you spend two years pursuing a degree at Taft College and then transfer, you save two years of university costs.
We are one of the most affordable colleges in the United States, offering genuinely caring and supportive services and financial aid. You belong here at Taft College—come transform your life with us—quickly, with personal and financial success.