Wenatchee Valley College | Field Guide 2026
Dr. Faimous Harrison
- Wilma Cartagena, chair
- Phylicia Hancock-Lewis, vice chair
- Paula Arno Martinez
- Tamra Jackson
- Steve Zimmerman
1939
Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan counties
7, 12
Wenatchee Valley College (WVC) serves the educational needs of students in a large district the size of Massachusetts. In addition to a robust offering of bachelor of applied science degrees, associate degrees, and certificates on its two campuses in Wenatchee and Omak, the college has a residence hall, 22 student organizations, and seven athletic teams.
By offering affordable and accessible programs, Wenatchee Valley College helps people of every age and background to learn and thrive in today’s economy. Whether students are 16 or 60, just out of high school or working adults, our college prepares them for the next step up in life. As a community college that serves a large number of students of color and students who are the first in their families to attend college, Wenatchee Valley College is key to creating social and economic mobility for people throughout our region.
Key Facts
- Academic Transfer
- General Studies
- Business
- Nursing
- Early Childhood Education
- Headcount (all sources): 5,581
- FTES (all sources): 2,874
- Headcount (state-funded): 3,836
- FTES (state-funded): 2,005
- Bachelor's: 89
- I-BEST: 69
- International: 16
- Running Start: 1,040
- Worker Retraining: 95
Student Profile
- Academic/transfer: 44%
- Basic skills: 11%
- Workforce education: 19%
- Other: 27%
Students of color: 47%
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 4%
- Asian: 2%
- Black/African American: 2%
- Hispanic/Latino: 40%
- Pacific Islander: 1%
- White: 42%
- Full-time: 51%
- Part-time: 49%
- Students receiving need-based financial aid: 44%
- Students with dependents: 32%
- Female: 2,754
- Male: 1,563
- X: 33
- Not reported: 1,231
23
Points of Interest
Wenatchee Valley College is applying workforce development funds from the SBCTC toward a Competency-Based Education for Industry and Degree Seeking Students project that involves collaboration with faculty and industry leaders to redesign programs to meet student and industry needs. The WVC Workforce Education staff and faculty are redesigning machining, graphic design, and engineering programs as Continuing Education workforce courses with clear competencies and assessments. These offerings will maintain credit alignment for co-enrollment, while using a competency-based education model that breaks mastery into smaller sections—creating flexible, stackable opportunities that allow students to progress at their own pace and industry to meet their needs more directly.
WVC received a four-year $2.9 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration to significantly expand and enhance its nursing program. The grant will help address the critical shortage of nurses in North Central Washington. Nursing students and clinical faculty/preceptors in the associate degree in nursing program will receive valuable training as they work in acute and long-term care settings. The grant funds key initiatives such as scholarship opportunities for students, state-of-the-art simulation equipment and software, and a retention specialist position dedicated to supporting nursing students with remediation and academic needs.
To support the workforce skills needs of our region, Wenatchee Valley College began construction on the Center for Technical Education and Innovation, which will be completed in 2027. The center will replace three outdated workforce education buildings and bring together programs such as agriculture, automotive technology, computer technology, electronics and aerospace electronics, environmental systems and refrigeration technology, and industrial technology. WVC received $51.4 million from the state’s capital budget for the design and construction of the center, as well as for the necessary equipment.
Data is from the 2024-25 academic year. Reflects headcount unless otherwise noted. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.
*Students of color percent based on unduplicated headcount. Students may be counted in more than one race, so race/ethnicity percentages may not total 100%. Percentages calculated on reported value.
**Excluding Running Start.
