Founded in 2004 as a partnership between the Alameda Unified School District and the College of Alameda and funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the Alameda Science and Technology Institute is an Early College High School. Students enroll in community college courses in their junior and senior years and can earn an associate's degree while in high school. In 2010, ASTI was chosen as one of the best high schools in America by US News and World Report and awarded a bronze medal, the highest award for a school of its size and type. Admission to ASTI, which is housed at the College of Alameda, is competitive and based on academic achievement and motivation as well as critical thinking and community involvement. Students do not need to be Alameda residents to attend ASTI.