Welcome to the website of the Northeast Higher Education District, a unique governance structure for five, autonomous yet interdependent, two-year colleges in Northeast Minnesota. These colleges include: Hibbing Community College, Itasca Community College, Mesabi Range College, Rainy River Community College and Vermilion Community College.

Our colleges were among the first two-year institutions of higher education to be located in northern Minnesota, with Hibbing founded in 1916, Itasca in 1922, Mesabi Range in 1918 (Eveleth Junior College) and 1921 (Virginia Junior College), Rainy River in 1967 and Vermilion in 1922. The rich history of high quality education and community development that has been our tradition is clearly evident on these college campuses today.

 Our colleges provide access and opportunity to higher education in our region.  It is my vision as President of these institutions that we create and maintain a welcoming and supportive environment for our students to give them as much opportunity as possible to be successful. Our unique governance structure promotes strong regional alignment as we work with our partners in K-12, higher education, business and industry, government and the private sector throughout our region.  This alignment creates more opportunities to collaborate and leverage additional resources. Working together as five colleges, we are able to provide more learning options in our region.

 Our colleges have a strong connection to their community. They play a leadership role in each community by providing talent and expertise through our faculty, staff, and students. They will also serve their residents by being a "center" for the arts and humanities to enrich the cultural experience of those who live in rural northern Minnesota. But most importantly, our colleges, through our faculty and staff, will continue to play a significant role in preparing our residents for learning, employment, and citizenship.

 A MEMBER OF THE MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SYSTEM