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Education & Training
Higher Education in the Yakima Valley
Yakima County offers a complete range of educational resources. Options range from a private technical college, a major university, even a medical university. Parents can choose from a wide variety of public and private educational settings for their children.
YVC is a public college with their main campus located at 16th Avenue and Nob Hill Blvd in Yakima and a Lower Valley campus located at 500 W. Main Street in Grandview. The college also has learning centers in Sunnyside, Toppenish, and Ellensburg which offer College and Career Readiness courses. YVC offers over 55 degrees and 100 certificates. Our programs are designed to prepare students to obtain employment or specialized training to enhance career skills, transfer to a four-year school, or complete a bachelor’s degree.
The Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) will train 75 new primary care physicians per year beginning in 2008. It is the first medical university to open in the entire Pacific Northwest in 60 years! PNWU is staffed by academic instructors and practicing physicians from both the osteopathic and allopathic professions with a student body soon to be near 280.
> Go to Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences Website
A four-year university located in Toppenish, Heritage is a private institution whose major fields of concentration are teacher education, business administration, and social sciences. Graduate level courses are also available in education and social sciences. Heritage University provides valuable programs to Yakima Valley residents and is generously supported by alumni and community donors.
Central Washington University (CWU) is a comprehensive, four-year public university granting baccalaureate and master’s degrees from both its main campus in Ellensburg, Washington and its center in Yakima. CWU-Yakima is co-located at Yakima Valley Community College within the Deccio Higher Education Center and offers degree options in the following areas: BAEd Elementary Education, BS Interdisciplinary Studies – Social Sciences, BS or BAS in Information Technology and Administrative Management and Continuing Education courses.
The Yakima Center also offers coursework that can be applied toward CWU’s College of Business programs in BS Business Administration and BS Accounting. The College of Business (CB) within Central Washington University (CWU) is accredited by AACSB International–The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Central’s main campus in Ellensburg is 30 miles north of Yakima.
Founded by Harriet I. Perry in 1939 as a tribute to her late husband, John, and as a gift to the Yakima community, Perry Technical Institute is a private non-profit 501(c)3 educational institution representing more than 800 students across 14 disciplines including Agricultural & Diesel Equipment Technology, Automotive Technology, Business Technology & Accounting, Construction & Carpentry Technology, Electrical Technology, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Technology, Information Technology & Communication Systems, Instrumentation, Automation & Robotics Technology, Medical Assistant, Medical Office Administration & Coding, Plumbing Technician, Precision Machining & Manufacturing, Professional Truck Driving, and Welding Technology. It is the mission of Perry Technical Institute to educate, empower, and equip students for lifelong careers in industry.
Perry Technical Institute is a two-time School of Excellence award recipient and is accredited through the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). Recognized as an official Military Friendly School designated by GI Jobs Magazine, Perry Tech is also a Veteran Supportive Campus designated by the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs.
Impact Washington’s manufacturing experts bring decades of experience in companies large and small. Drawing on unmatched expertise in every facet of manufacturing, we work to support Washington’s manufacturing community. We’ve worked as floor managers, product engineers, project managers, executives, researchers, materials scientists, and more. Now, our job is to help you. Impact Washington offers specialized workforce training such as lean manufacturing, supply chain consulting, strategy consulting, and growth strategy development.
Goodwill has a number of training programs from advanced manufacturing to warehouse and logistics.