Education is a high priority in Spokane. The region's educational system reflects the community's diversity and commitment to education, offering programs at all levels that meet the needs of both student and employer. 
 
Spokane County has 14 public school districts and 13 private schools with a 12 to 19 teacher-to-pupil ratio. These schools are among the best in the state noted by Fortune Magazine for exemplary education.  Spokane School Districts ranked in the top 33% of 2,800 school districts nationwide in Expansion Management’s Education Quotient.
 
The region is home to 18 universities and colleges, with over 70,000 student enrolled in programs as diverse as Biomedical Equipment Technician, Manufacturing Technology, Machine Shop Technology, Welding, Fabrication and Industrial Mechanics, Health Sciences and Professions, Design and Planning, Education, Business and Management and Liberal Arts.
 
In downtown Spokane, the Riverpoint Campus, located in the University District serves as the center for university-community engagement aimed at developing human capital; improving the health of humans, communities, and the environment; sparking robust, sustainable, inclusive economic development; and supporting and enhancing community vitality.
 
The Riverpoint Campus is home to programs of both Washington State University and Eastern Washington University. WSU has campuses located in Pullman, Spokane, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver, with extension offices in every county, and research stations around the state. EWU is a regional comprehensive university located in Cheney with programs offered in Spokane, Yakima, Vancouver, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett and Bellevue.
 
Administrative offices of the Community Colleges of Spokane are immediately adjacent to the Riverpoint Campus, and just across the Spokane River is Gonzaga University, a private four-year Jesuit university. Just a short drive to the north, you’ll find Whitworth University, one of the top regional colleges and universities in the West.