The college offers more than 40 transfer and career degree programs as well as continuing education professional development and training services.

[3] In 1962, the New Jersey Legislature authorized the establishment and committed to funding such institutions in the state, after efforts of local freeholders, county superintendents, and citizen groups.

[4] In 1973, Atlantic Community College began offering night classes in Cape May Court House at Middle Township High School.

Due to increased demand, the college opened the Cape May County Extension Center in 1980, where it accounted for 21% of the total enrollment.

[3][7] Cape May County requested to join Atlantic Community College in February 1997, which was approved on January 1, 1999.

[3][7] After delays and permit acquisition, the Cape May County campus opened to a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 24, 2005; classes began 13 days later.

[7] In 2000, the United States Environmental Protection Agency awarded Atlantic Cape an Energy Star rating after the college enacted energy efficient projects at its three campuses, such as eliminating Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) from cooling systems, removing underground storage tanks, and installing motion detectors in its lighting systems.

A $7 million expansion project began in 1980, completed in Spring 1982, to add two buildings and additional space for offices, classes, and student services.

The Academy of Culinary Arts completed a 28,250 sq ft (2,625 m2) expansion in October 1991, adding a new entrance, an atrium lobby, a 90-seat gourmet restaurant, and additional offices and storage areas.

[3] The Cape May County Campus is a 68,000 sq ft (6,300 m2) facility that has a library, cafeteria, lecture hall, and 19 classrooms, including six computer labs.

[16] After Cape May was added to Atlantic Community College, a Site Assessment Task Force identified 19 potential locations for a permanent campus.

The project was halted due to opposition from neighbors, believing the college would negatively impact their livelihood, as well as environmental groups.

[18][16] On October 3, college, county, and state officials – including Governor Jim McGreevey – attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cape May campus.

Three days later, the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division supported the decision to divert the park lands for the project.

That August, the Atlantic Cape Board of Trustees petitioned the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education to designate the new facility as a comprehensive, full service branch campus; this was approved in July 2005.

In 2016, the Federal Communications Commission approved the license for Atlantic Cape Community College to operate a low-power FM radio station.

[19] The station utilizes a 268 ft (81.7 m) airport surveillance radar tower located at the west end of the Mays Landing campus, which was built in 1996.