Spokane is the education and training center of the Inland Northwest, a region served by a variety of public and private higher educational institutions.  The educational and business community work collaboratively together to ensure that the future workforce receives the training and education needs and requirements of businesses. 

Eastern Washington University

Built upon 125 years of tradition, Eastern Washington University offers more than 100 fields of study, ten master’s degrees, four graduate certificates, 55 graduate programs and one applied doctorate at two locations – the Cheney campus (just 16 miles from Spokane) and the Riverpoint Campus in the downtown Spokane U-District.
 
EWU gives students the opportunity to study one-of-a-kind, in-demand disciplines such as biotechnology, cybersecurity, forensic science, entrepreneurship, children's studies, dental hygiene and urban planning. In addition, Eastern is the only regional university in the state to offer a doctorate in physical therapy, and the only regional comprehensive university to offer a bachelor’s in electrical engineering.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has served the public and private aviation sectors through education for over 70 years, and is the only accredited not-for-profit university in the world totally oriented to aviation. In 1990, the Fairchild Air Force Base Resident Center began offering classes to civilians, active duty military and their dependents.

Embry Riddle has two main campus locations – one in Daytona Beach, Florida and one in Prescott, Arizona. The Division of Continuing Education offers Embry Riddle degree programs at more than 100 locations throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Europe. The associate and bachelor of science degree in professional aeronautics, and a bachelor of science degree in the management of technical operations, are offered. At the graduate level, a master of aeronautical science degree is offered.

Gonzaga University and Law School

Founded by the Jesuit order in 1887, Gonzaga University has grown and matured into one of the West’s premier regional universities. For the past five years, Gonzaga has been ranked No. 3 among the top colleges and universities with master's programs in the Western United States by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently ranked by the same publication as one of the West's best values in higher education. Gonzaga embodies the intellectual powers of five schools offering seven undergraduate degrees in 43 majors. The University also offers degrees in 26 master’s programs, one Ph.D. program and a Juris Doctor through the School of Law. The academic heart and strength of Gonzaga’s liberal arts tradition lies in its core curriculum which integrates philosophy, theology, history, mathematics, literature, the natural and social sciences, and extensive writing in students’ major disciplines.

Institute For Extended Learning

The Institute for Extended Learning (IEL) is part of the Community Colleges of Spokane. The IEL provides access to a wide variety of educational programs to people in the six-county region of northeastern Washington. The IEL has no single campus; its programs are offered at many locations in Spokane and in cities and towns in the surrounding counties.

In Spokane County, the IEL provides Head Start and Early Head Start at 11 sites, including the two college campuses, and parenting skills are taught at 11 cooperative preschools. Adult education, including English as a second language (ESL), high school comletion and GED preparation and testing, is offered at seven locations. in addition, the Business and Community Training division provides a wide variety of programs to help employers and individuals improve job skills, such as customized contract training, the Job Skills Program, Plus 50 (designed to give seniors skills to get back into the workforce) and Career Builder. For personal enrichment, the IEL offers a wide variety of community education and seniors courses at various locations in the community.

Outside of Spokane County, the IEL centers in Pullman, Colville, Newport, Republic, Ione and Inchelium offer college credit courses and degrees. The Running Start program at these centers enables high school students to take college courses tuition-free. Credit courses are accredited and degrees are awarded through Spokane Falls Community College. Adult education is also available at the Pullman, Colville and Republic sites.

Interface College

Interface College is a private, accredited college that has served the Spokane area since 1982, specializing in short-term training programs in career fields with growth potential.  The college offers accelerated 8-12 month training programs in technical, business and healthcare careers, and also offers five associate degree programs (transfer credits are accepted).

Course schedules are very flexible with day, evening and on-line classes available.  The college is conveniently located near downtown Spokane.

ITT Technical Institute

The Spokane ITT Technical Institute is operated by Indianapolis-based ITT Education Services, Inc. ITT/ESI, a subsidiary of ITT Corporation, provides education to approximately 25,000 students through the operation of 70 colleges in 27 states. ITT came to Spokane in 1985 and focuses on preparing graduates for careers in technology. ITT is accredited by a Department of Education approved agency and is a degree-granting institution. ITT specializes in electronic engineering technology and computer-aided drafting technology.

Park University

Park is a private, accredited school of arts and sciences which offers associate and bachelor of science degrees through accelerated face-to-face and online courses at School for Extended Learning (SEL) resident centers. The Resident Center at Fairchild Air Force Base is part of the SEL, the national outreach arm of the university’s main campus in Parkville, near Kansas City, Missouri. The center at Fairchild offers four associate degrees and seven bachelors degrees to both military and civilian students. Enrollment and attendance is open to all. Courses are offered as traditional, evening classes, and also through Distant Learning courses via the Internet. Park has been serving Fairchild and the surrounding community for more than 20 years, and works closely with local community colleges to provide quality education opportunities.

Spokane Community College (SCC)

SCC offers degrees and certificates in more than 90 professional/technical fields, as well as a full range of transferable liberal arts programs. Professional/technical areas of study include agriculture, horticulture, natural resources, business and office technology, health sciences, and a wide variety of technical, industrial and service occupations ranging from aircraft mechanics to electrical maintenance, culinary arts, welding and more.

Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC)

SFCC emphasizes liberal arts instruction and is among the top three community colleges in the state in the number of students who transfer to four-year universities. Liberal arts students choose from more than 40 pre-major programs ranging from accounting to education to veterinary medicine. SFCC also offers more than 20 professional/technical degrees. Areas of study include business and office technology, camera repair, fine and applied arts, interior design, music, orthotic-prosthetic technology, photography, saddlemaking, health/fitness technology and human services.

Washington State University (WSU) Spokane

WSU Spokane is the urban campus of Washington State University, a land-grant research university founded in 1890. The Riverpoint Campus, bordered by the Spokane River and Centennial Trail, lies at the heart of a developing University District on the east end of downtown. Part-time working adults as well as traditional undergraduate, graduate and professional students benefit from the campus’s new classrooms, labs, studios, and clinical space.

A growing focus for academics and research at WSU Spokane is on the health sciences professions. As a developing academic health center, WSU Spokane offers professional and graduate studies in nursing, pharmacy, medicine, health policy and administration, and nutrition/exercise science. The university enjoys active partnerships with the health care community in Spokane, which serves as the regional medical center for the Inland Northwest.

Campus programs also include the design disciplines, educational leadership programs, social and policy sciences, and science and technology. Washington State University is one of just 95 public and private research universities with very high research activity, according to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifications. In addition, U.S. News & World Report ranks WSU as one of the top public research universities in the nation.

WSU Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education

The WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing moved into a new building on campus in 2008-09. Campus programs also include the design disciplines, education programs, social and policy sciences, and science and technology. Washington State University is one of just 95 public and private research universities with very high research activity, according to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifications. In addition, “U.S. News & World Report” ranks WSU as one of the top public research universities in the nation.

Webster University

Webster University is an independent, accredited, coeducational university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in many fields. Its graduate programs provide career-minded adults with knowledge and skills to enhance their professional development or embark on a new career. The extended campus located at Fairchild Air Force Base offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Arts (MA) in Human Resources Development; M.A. in Management and Leadership; M.A. in Business and Organizational Security Management; and M.A. in Counseling. There are many other options online.  Courses are available to civilians, active duty military and their dependents, both on-site and internet-based.

Whitworth University

Founded in 1890, Whitworth University is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Ranked by U.S. News as one of the ten best regional universities and values in the Western U.S., Whitworth is committed to rigorous and open intellectual inquiry and to the integration of Christian faith and learning.

Whitworth enrolls 2,700 students at its 200-acre wooded campus located 15 minutes north of downtown Spokane. Undergraduate degree programs are offered in 48 different majors, and master’s programs are available in business administration, counseling, education, international management, school administration, teaching, and theology. Whitworth’s Continuing Studies program offers evening programs convenient for working adults at its main campus and a new downtown location in the University District.