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Education

Building Fulton County’s Economy One Business at a Time.

Fulton County
Education

Fulton Montgomery Community College is a force behind improving educational attainment in the Region and a draw for the Fulton County students seeking their Associates Degree. With 3,000 students and 40 degree and certificate programs including IT related programs, numerous health care degrees, a new clean-­‐ room, automated manufacturing lab, and high-­‐tech patient simulators, FMCC develops tailor made programs to train students in high tech fields.

Within a one­‐hour drive of Fulton County are fifteen colleges and universities and five community colleges, including the College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), SUNY Albany, and the Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. These renowned colleges and universities provide trained and skilled labor to businesses in the Region.

Increase in Students Earning Associates Degrees
26%
Increase in Students Earning Bachelors Degrees
13%
Increase in Students Earning Graduate and Professional Degrees
32%

The Hamilton­‐Fulton­‐Montgomery Board of Cooperative Educational Services (HFM-­BOCES) currently operates two new Pathways in Technology Early College High School (PTECH) programs servicing Fulton County. PTECH is an innovative model for secondary education.

Students enter PTECH in 9th grade and earn a Regents high school diploma as well as an Associate Degree from FMCC in 4­‐6 years. The following Associate Degrees can be earned:

  • Business Accounting
  • Business Administration
  • Business Technology and Applications
  • Electrical Technology
  • Computer Information Systems
  • Computer Networking
  • Computer Technology
  • Medical Administrative Studies
  • Health Studies
  • Radiologic Technology
  • Agricultural Business
  • Agricultural Science
  • Agricultural Engineering Technology: Power Machinery
  • Animal Industry • Biological Technology
  • Culinary Arts
  • Environmental Studies
  • Fisheries and Wildlife Technologies
  • Sustainable Crop Production

Students graduating from these PTECH programs represent another source of skilled and trained labor for local employers not available in many other areas of New York State that don’t operate PTECH programs.

There is a strong consensus among County educators that while new companies are bringing more jobs with good salaries, students need more than the traditional high school diploma to enter a middleclass lifestyle. The need for post-secondary training is essential to earn a living wage.

Among Fulton County residents over age 25, approximately 86% have graduated from high school (similar to the state average.) While only 16% have earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher, although the rate of students pursuing higher education is steadily increasing (between 2000 and 2014):

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