Named after downtown Jamaica and York College, a CUNY college founded in 1966.
Jamaica Center is the area around Jamaica Avenue, a major commercial centre. York College was established by CUNY in 1966 as ‘Alpha College’ and quickly renamed; its permanent campus, a block from the station, opened in 1986. In October 2026 the MTA renamed the station, until then Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer, to mark the college’s 60th anniversary.