Spokane Falls Community College is situated above the Spokane River in the city of Spokane. The college officially began operations in 1967. It currently offers students more than 20 career and technical training options and 40 pre-major liberal arts programs. The community college is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Although the college does not require SAT or ACT scores to be accepted as a student at, all prospective students must participate in placement testing prior to attending the school.
The Spokane Technical Vocational School began operating in Spokane in 1957. In July 1963, the Spokane Technical Vocational School became Spokane Community College. Nearly all applicants for admission to Spokane Community College who have obtained either a high school diploma or a GED certificate are accepted. In the 2009-2010 school year, more than 13,600 students were enrolled at the college. The college offers 99 associate's degrees and an additional 100 professional and vocational certificate programs. More than 78 percent of students at the college were employed upon completing their degrees or completion of their vocational certificate programs. The college awarded 1,777 degrees and certificates in the 2009-2010 academic year. There were 304 students who successfully transferred from Spokane Community College to four-year universities. The school employs about 321 teachers. Additionally, the college operates off-campus with facilities on 10 acres for student apprenticeships and journeyman training.
The Institute of Extended Learning provides customized training to students in a six-county district, including the city of Spokane. The school offers more than 1,800 credit courses and 3,895 non-credit courses, 295 of which may be taken online. In the 2009-2010 academic year, more than 14,800 students were taking classes. The Institute of Extended Learning maintains more than 35 sites in the city of Spokane. More than 1,000 incarcerated adults participate in the school's programs, including a GED certificate program, which currently provides educational opportunities to about 240 of these incarcerated students per year.
Tuition at the Institute of Extended Learning varies depending upon the program in which students elect to enroll. Tuition at both Spokane Falls Community College and Spokane Community College for Washington residents is currently $86.62 per credit hour as of February 2011. Non-resident tuition is $116.92 per credit hour. The approximate annual tuition for full-time attendance is $2,925.