In 1950, as a result of post-World War II vocational needs, North Carolina's Superintendent of Public Instruction authorized a study into the need for state-funded community colleges. In 1952, the study concluded that North Carolinians did not desire four-year college degrees, but needed education beyond a high school diploma. As a result of the study, the state's General Assembly of 1957 adopted the first Community College Act and provided funding for community. By 1961, six community colleges were operating in the state, and by 1969 the number increased to 54. The NCCCS, which was established in 1963, added its last community college in 1979.
Since 1981, the NCCCS has been under the governance of the State Board of Community Colleges (SBCC), a 21-member body responsible for implementing policies and regulations for the system's colleges. The SBCC is comprised of appointed and elected members who carry out the board's responsibilities under the auspices of several committees, including accountability and audit, financial and capital needs, and program services. Since its inception, 123 people have served as part of the SBCC from all parts of the state.
More than 850,000 students are enrolled in one of the NCCCS's 58 community colleges. Collectively, the system employs 6,490 staff members, 44 percent of which are faculty members. Forty-two percent of the system's faculty members possess a master's degree or better. NCCCS colleges offer 248 curriculum and 45 continuation courses online. Ninety-nine percent of NCCCS graduates are employed within a year following graduation. As of 2011, tuition at all NCCCS colleges is $56.50 per credit hour for North Carolina residents and $248.50 per credit hour for non-residents.
Eighteen NCCCS colleges offers intercollegiate athletic programs, including Stanly Community College, Cape Fear Community College and Catawba Valley Community College. Each school competes as part of the National Junior College Athletic Association's Region 10 at the Division I, II or III levels. Several sports are played at the various campuses, including softball, baseball, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's soccer. The most played sport is basketball, with 11 men's teams and four women's, followed by 12 volleyball teams, all women's.