In 1872, the Halifax Marine School was established. While it would later become the NSCC Nautical Institute, it then represented the first
vocational and technical education institution in the
Province of Nova Scotia. It was the first in a number of specialized training institutions around the province that offered education in areas such as agriculture, surveying, engineering and navigation. In 1987, the Department of Vocational & Technical Training published a White Paper recommending the creation of a community college system for Nova Scotia. The establishment of the system, it was argued, would bring technology, vocational and upgrading institutions together under one umbrella and allow for the development and coordination of college programs and services at a province-wide level. That would work to meet both pan-provincial and local economic and applied education needs. In 1988, Nova Scotia became the last province in Canada to create a community college system, which brought 16 institutions together into one college system. In name, it became the predecessor to NSCC; however, it would be several years until NSCC was established in its current form. In 1992, two more campuses joined the college system from their respective school boards, followed by in 1995 the Nova Scotia Teacher's College closed and became an NSCC site. by incorporating itself as an independent institution with a Board of Governors (An Act Respecting
Collège de l’Acadie and Nova Scotia Community College). Since then, the NSCC network of campuses has evolved into a province-wide, community-based, community college, with polytechnical, applied arts and health science educational programs. ==Campuses and locations==