Douglas College’s namesake is Sir James Douglas, a man of mixed race who was born in 1803 and became British Columbia’s first governor. Douglas offers 12 bachelor degrees as well as certificate, diploma and post-degree programs to nearly 25,000 students each year. Upwards of 4,200 international students from more than 92 countries attend the college. Douglas’s main campuses are in New Westminster and Coquitlam, with training centres serving Surrey, Burnaby and Maple Ridge. As part of the school’s efforts to reduce energy consumption, it began updating the Coquitlam campus in 2021 by installing new walls and windows. A four-metre-tall Coast Salish welcome figure, carved by local artist Gerry Sheena, was erected at Coquitlam in 2021.

The school positions itself as a launchpad for university. Students can complete two years of their degree at Douglas, taking advantage of the college’s smaller class sizes, and then transfer to a university. Douglas also offers a degree program that allows for simultaneous study at Simon Fraser University.

Douglas aims to provide the educational breadth of a university in addition to the applied-skills training common to colleges. The school focuses on experiential learning, tailoring each program to offer practical opportunities in co-ops, job shadowing, internships, community projects and applied research with its partner organizations.