| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public community college, one of Wyoming’s seven; mostly in-person programs, some online courses |
| Campuses | 3 in Wyoming: Riverton (main), Lander and Jackson, plus outreach sites in Dubois and Fort Washakie (Wind River) and a partner learning center in Thermopolis |
| Credentials | Certificates, associate degrees (AA, AS, AAS) and two Bachelor of Applied Science degrees; 134 awards in the 2026-27 catalog |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission since 1976, reaffirmed through 2035-36 (announced January 2026); nursing (ADN) accredited by ACEN |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| 2026-27 cost | $171.50 per credit with fees for Wyoming residents, $227.50 WUE, $395.50 out-of-state |
| Students | 2,852 credit students in 2024-25 (unduplicated headcount), most part-time |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Central Wyoming College: a public college for Fremont, Teton and Hot Springs counties
Central Wyoming College (CWC), founded in 1966, is one of Wyoming’s seven public community colleges. Its main campus is in Riverton, with campuses in Lander and Jackson, outreach centers in Dubois and Fort Washakie (Wind River) and a partner learning center in Thermopolis, serving Fremont, Teton and Hot Springs counties. The 2026-27 catalog lists 134 degrees and certificates, including Bachelor of Applied Science degrees in Early Childhood Education and in Organizational Management & Leadership. The Wyoming Community College Commission’s 2024-25 annual enrollment report counts 2,852 credit students, 2,341 of them part-time.
The college’s career programs run from an ACEN-accredited nursing degree to welding, cosmetology, equine training and farrier science, with culinary and hospitality programs in Jackson. Two recent changes matter to students: fees went up after an April 2025 decision, and Jackson classes moved to a new campus in fall 2026.
Career programs at CWC and where they are taught
Most career programs are taught in person at Riverton. The table shows the main ones; tuition is charged by the credit (see the cost section), so no program totals are given.
| Program | Credential | Length / start | Delivery and hands-on part | Where | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) | Associate degree, 65 credits + 15 prerequisite credits | 4 semesters; fall start | Classroom, simulation labs, clinicals from semester 1 | Riverton (32 seats), Jackson (8, video-linked) | NCLEX-RN |
| Medical Assistant | Certificate I, 33 credits | 2 semesters | Classroom, lab, preceptor-supervised clinical | Riverton | NCMA, NCPT (phlebotomy), BLS |
| Emergency Medical Technician | Certificate II | – | Lecture, lab, ambulance ride-time or ER observation; age 18+ | Riverton | NREMT, for Wyoming licensure |
| Nursing Assistant (CNA) | Single course, 4 credits | 4–6 weeks | Online, skills lab, 36 clinical hours; age 16+ | Riverton | Wyoming CNA exam |
| Welding | AAS, 60–61 credits; Certificate I, 30; Certificate II, 14 | Certificate II: 1 semester | In person | Riverton | AWS/API acceptance criteria; weld tests offered |
| Automotive Technology | AAS, 62 credits; Certificates I and II | Certificates about 1–2 semesters | Hands-on lab | Riverton | – |
| Electrical Apprenticeship | Certificate II, 26 credits a year | 4 apprenticeship years | Classroom or online | Riverton, online | Wyoming journeyman electrician exam |
| Cosmetology | AAS, 64 credits | – | On-campus salon | Riverton | Wyoming State Board of Cosmetology exam |
| Culinary Arts | AAS, 60–63 credits; Certificates I and II | – | Includes two practicum/co-op courses | Jackson only | – |
| Hotel & Restaurant Management | AAS; Certificates I and II | – | – | Jackson only | – |
| Farrier Science | Certificate II | – | – | Riverton | – |
| Police Academy | CWC Police Academy Certificate II | – | – | Riverton | – |
Several programs on many school lists are only single courses here: nursing assistant (CNA), phlebotomy and EKG are credit courses that lead to a certification exam, not certificate programs. Music, theatre, art and health science are offered as transfer degrees (AA or AS), plus a few small art certificates. The 2026-27 catalog has no LPN, RN-to-BSN, HVAC, diesel or truck-driving (CDL) program. Other career awards include barbering, esthetician and nail technician certificates, Medical Office Support, Computer Technology, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education and Tribal Historic Preservation.
What the main programs cover
Associate Degree Nursing
The ADN is 65 credits over four semesters, after 15 credits of prerequisites. Classes use Canvas and simulation labs, and lectures are video-linked between Riverton and Jackson. Clinical rotations start in the first semester. Entry is in fall only, with 40 seats a year: 32 in Riverton and 8 in Jackson. Applicants need a 2.5 GPA and the ATI TEAS by 1 March, and are ranked 40% on pre-nursing GPA and 60% on the TEAS. A background check, drug test, BLS and immunizations are required. Licensed practical nurses can enter with advanced placement.
Medical Assistant
The Medical Assistant Certificate I is 33 credits over two semesters at Riverton. It mixes classroom teaching, practice in a campus lab and clinical experience supervised by a preceptor. Graduates are prepared for two national exams, the NCMA for medical assistants and the NCPT for phlebotomy, and earn American Heart Association BLS. The college names no programmatic accreditor for the certificate. A separate Medical Office Support Certificate II prepares students for the National Certified Medical Office Assistant exam instead.
Short healthcare courses
CWC teaches several healthcare credentials as single credit courses. Nursing Assistant (NRST 1510, 4 credits) takes four to six weeks: online coursework, a campus skills lab and 36 clinical hours, open from age 16, leading to the monthly Wyoming CNA exam. CNA II (2 credits) builds on it. Medication Aide (4 credits) is 100 hours, 60 in class and 40 clinical, leading to the MACE exam. Phlebotomy (3 credits, one semester) needs a background check and drug test, and EKG is a 1-credit course; both lead to NCCT exams.
Welding
Welding is taught in person at Riverton’s Professional Technical Center. The AAS is 60 to 61 credits, Certificate I is 30 credits, and Certificate II is 14 credits completed in one semester. Students’ welds are judged against American Welding Society and American Petroleum Institute acceptance criteria, and the staff include AWS Certified Welding Inspectors. The college also offers weld qualification tests, priced at $300 to $700 per position. It does not claim AWS SENSE status or programmatic accreditation for the program.
Electrical Apprenticeship
The Electrical Apprenticeship Certificate II covers the related classroom instruction for an electrical apprenticeship: eight courses, 26 credits a year, spread over four apprenticeship years. Students take the courses in a classroom at Riverton or online. The training is approved by the Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety and prepares apprentices for the Wyoming journeyman electrician exam. The program page does not say whether students must already be employed as apprentices, so check that before enrolling. The college’s workforce office also runs National Electrical Code update classes.
Culinary Arts and Hotel & Restaurant Management
Both programs are taught only in Jackson. Culinary Arts is an AAS of 60 to 63 credits, with Certificate I and Certificate II options, and the degree includes two practicum or co-op courses worth 6 credits. Hotel & Restaurant Management is an AAS with two certificates, and Hospitality Management and Event Planning certificates are shorter options. The new Jackson campus on High School Road, where classes started in fall 2026, includes a culinary wing. The college’s Jackson page says graduates have a 100% employment rate but gives no year or definition.
Cost in 2026-27 and how students pay
CWC charges one tuition rate to all Wyoming residents; there is no separate in-district rate. Students from states in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) pay a reduced out-of-state rate. The college’s 2026-27 figures below include fees.
| 2026-27, tuition and fees per credit | Wyoming resident | WUE | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per credit | $171.50 | $227.50 | $395.50 |
| 15 credits (one full-time semester) | $2,572.50 | $3,412.50 | $5,932.50 |
| College’s full-year tuition and fees figure | $5,160 | $6,840 | $11,880 |
The college’s full-year figures are slightly higher than 30 credits at the per-credit rate. Jackson students have been charged an out-of-district site fee; in April 2025 the college approved raising it to $12 a credit, along with a new $4-per-credit fee for online courses. The college’s own fee breakdowns differ between its pages, so confirm the fees for your campus and courses with the college. The nursing, Medical Assistant and Computer Technology programs add a $102 licensing and certification fee. Fremont County residents aged 60 and over pay no tuition, only fees, with a Tuition Grant Request. The college’s net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
CWC takes federal student aid. Fremont County high-school students can take college classes with tuition paid through the county’s BOCHES program, and Wind River Recompete scholarships are offered for workforce courses to adults aged 25 to 54. Veterans can use VA education benefits in programs approved by the Wyoming State Approving Agency, and service members can use Military Tuition Assistance. The college follows the federal rule (38 U.S.C. 3679(e)) that bars late fees or blocked access while a VA payment is pending.
Open admission, with a competitive nursing program
CWC is open-admission. The exception is the ADN, which takes 40 students a year: applications run from 1 November to 1 March for a fall start, and applicants are ranked on GPA and the ATI TEAS. Some programs have age limits (18 for EMT, 16 for the CNA course), and phlebotomy needs a background check and drug test. Most programs meet in person at Riverton; Jackson nursing students join lectures by video, and the Electrical Apprenticeship can be taken online. We did not find day or evening schedules on the program pages we checked, so ask about each program’s schedule.
Accreditation and results
CWC has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since March 1976. In January 2026 the college announced that HLC had reaffirmed its accreditation through the 2035-36 academic year, with no monitoring or follow-up required. The ADN holds continuing accreditation from ACEN, whose last site visit was in October 2021, and is approved by the Wyoming State Board of Nursing. The Electrical Apprenticeship is approved by the Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety. The college names no programmatic accreditor for Medical Assistant, Welding, Automotive Technology or Culinary Arts.
| Measure | Result | Cohort and source |
|---|---|---|
| ADN, NCLEX-RN pass rate | 96.4% | Spring 2025 graduates, college nursing page |
| ADN completion | 80% | Spring 2025 cohort, college nursing page |
| ADN job placement | 100% | Spring 2025 graduates, college nursing page |
These are the college’s own figures for one nursing class. We found no published pass rates for CWC’s CNA, EMT, Medical Assistant or cosmetology students on the program pages we checked.
Before you enroll
- CNA, phlebotomy and EKG are single credit courses, not certificate programs. They prepare you for an exam, not a degree.
- Music, theatre, art and health science are transfer degrees. If you want a job-ready credential in the arts, Film and Photography have career AAS degrees.
- Culinary and hotel and restaurant programs are taught only in Jackson, where students have paid an extra site fee and housing is limited, according to student reviews.
- Nursing is competitive: 40 seats a year, fall start only, with a March deadline.
- Automotive Technology and Welding do not claim programmatic accreditation (ASE Education Foundation or AWS), and the Electrical Apprenticeship is built around Wyoming licensing, which matters if you plan to work in another state.
Three campuses: what each teaches
| Campus | Address | Main programs taught only or mainly here |
|---|---|---|
| Riverton (main) | 2660 Peck Avenue, Riverton, WY 82501 | Nearly everything: nursing (32 seats), Medical Assistant, EMT, welding, automotive, cosmetology and barbering, equine and farrier science, agriculture, police academy, film |
| Lander | 120 Enterprise Blvd., Lander, WY 82520 | Outdoor education and recreation, Expedition Science, GIS, Regenerative Food Systems; Alpine Science Institute field school |
| Jackson | 240 S. Glenwood St #124, Jackson, WY 83001 (new campus on High School Road from fall 2026) | Culinary Arts and Hotel & Restaurant Management (only here), 8 nursing seats, accounting and business |
The outreach center in Dubois offers ed2go online certificates, adult basic education and HiSET, but no credit programs. The Wind River outreach center in Fort Washakie runs short workforce courses, and the Thermopolis site is a partner learning center.
Housing, clinicals and career help
Riverton has on-campus housing, and the Alpine Science Institute near Sinks Canyon houses students in the Lander outdoor programs. Work experience is built into several programs: ADN clinicals from the first semester, preceptor-supervised clinical work in Medical Assistant, 36 clinical hours in the CNA course, ambulance ride-time in EMT and two practicum or co-op courses in Culinary Arts. The Workforce Development office in Riverton runs OSHA 10 and 30, HAZWOPER, SafeLand and first aid classes.
What students say
On Niche, Central Wyoming College is rated 3.96 out of 5 from 208 reviews, with an overall grade of B+ (checked 12 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise friendly, approachable faculty and staff with small classes, a diverse campus with free tutoring and ESL help, and low cost with good preparation for transfer. The most common complaints are a nursing program that some describe as subjectively graded and punitive, limited housing (especially for Jackson students) with some maintenance problems, and weak internet that hurts online classes. The reviews cover the whole college, and we could not tell whether they were invited by the school or posted in bursts.
Sources
Checked October 2026: 2026-27 catalog, all programs · Programs of study by location · Cost of attendance · Nursing (ADN) · Accreditation · HLC reaffirmation, January 2026 · CWC Jackson · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Associate Degree Nursing (ADN, leads to RN)
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Office Support
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Nursing Assistant (CNA, single course)
- CNA II and Medication Aide (short courses)
- Phlebotomy and EKG (single courses)
- Health Science (transfer degree)
Skilled Trades
- Welding
- Automotive Technology
- Electrical Apprenticeship
- Construction Technology (certificate)
Cosmetology and Barbering
- Cosmetology
- Barbering
- Esthetician
- Nail Technician
- Hair Technician
- Cosmetology Instructor
Culinary and Hospitality (Jackson)
- Culinary Arts
- Hotel & Restaurant Management
- Hospitality Management
- Event Planning
Business and Computers
- Accounting
- Administrative Assistant
- Business / Business Administration
- Entrepreneurship
- Computer Technology
- Software Development
Agriculture and Equine
- Farm & Ranch Resource Management
- Agriculture and Agri-Business (transfer degrees)
- Controlled Environment Agriculture
- Meat Processing
- Regenerative Food Systems (Lander)
- Equine Management and Teaching Riding
- Farrier Science
Public Safety and Human Services
- Police Academy
- Criminal Justice
- Early Childhood Education
- Social Work Addiction Option
- Tribal Historic Preservation
Outdoor and GIS (Lander)
- Outdoor Education & Leadership
- Outdoor Recreation
- Expedition Science
- Mountainbike and Trailbuilding Professional
- Geospatial Information Science & Technology
- Environment Health & Safety GIS
Arts and Media
- Film
- Photography
- New Media
- Art (transfer degree and certificates)
- Music (transfer degree)
- Theatre (transfer degree)
Bachelor of Applied Science
- Early Childhood Education (BAS)
- Organizational Management & Leadership (BAS, five options)
Campus Locations
Riverton, WY 2660 Peck Avenue, Riverton, WY 82501
Lander, WY 120 Enterprise Blvd., Lander, WY 82520
Jackson, WY 240 S. Glenwood St #124, Jackson, WY 83001