| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public community college district for Ada and Canyon counties, Idaho; classes in person, online, hybrid and hyflex |
| Locations | Nampa Campus (main) and Canyon County Center in Nampa; Ada County Center and the Micron Training Center in Boise. All in Idaho |
| Credentials | Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Technical Certificates; associate degrees (AAS, AS, AA, AE); one bachelor’s (BAS in Business Administration); non-credit workforce courses and apprenticeships |
| Typical length | Certificates from half a year to 1.5 years; associate degrees two to three years; workforce courses from a few weeks to about a year |
| Size | 11,015 students in fall 2024 (2,591 full-time); CWI reports fall 2025 headcount up 7.6% |
| Accreditation | Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 2016, at associate and baccalaureate level; no sanction listed |
| Federal aid | Yes for credit programs (OPE ID 04211800) |
| 2026-27 tuition | $172 per credit in-district; $222 other Idaho residents; $336 out of state |
| Founded | 22 May 2007, when Ada and Canyon county voters approved the college district; first students January 2008 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
The Boise–Nampa area’s public community college
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) is the public community college for Ada and Canyon counties, the Boise and Nampa area. Voters created the district in May 2007, and CWI first taught career courses in January 2008; until 2016 it operated under an accreditation agreement with the College of Southern Idaho. It had 11,015 students in fall 2024, three-quarters of them part-time, and CWI reports that fall 2025 headcount rose another 7.6%. Most career training is on the Nampa Campus, where a new Health & Science Building opened in August 2025. CWI also runs a non-credit Workforce Development division, covered on this page, and its first bachelor’s degree, a BAS in Business Administration, was approved by NWCCU in 2024.
Career programs, credentials and where they are taught
CWI’s career programs lead to a Basic, Intermediate or Advanced Technical Certificate (BTC, ITC, ATC) or an Associate of Applied Science (AAS); registered nursing is an Associate of Science. Each cwi.edu program page gives a total tuition figure for each credential rather than a credit count, and CWI says additional costs may apply. The table shows those figures, checked in October 2026, with credentials in the same order as the prices. A dash means the pages we read gave nothing.
| Program | Credentials | Length | Where | Accreditation or approval | Prepares for | Total tuition (program page, Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | AS | 3 years | Nampa Campus | ACEN (continuing, with conditions) | NCLEX-RN | $16,612 |
| Practical Nursing | ITC / AAS | 1.5 / 2 years | Nampa Campus | ACEN (initial) | NCLEX-PN | $10,157 / $11,685 |
| Surgical Technology | AAS | 2 years; summer start | Nampa Campus | CAAHEP | NBSTSA CST | $11,764 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AAS | 2.5 years, full-time | Nampa Campus | ACOTE | NBCOT exam | – |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS | 2.5 years | Nampa Campus | CAPTE | NPTE (PTA) | $13,449 |
| Medical Assistant | ITC / AAS | 1 year / 2 years | Nampa Campus | ITC: CAAHEP (MAERB) | AAMA CMA | $6,586 / $11,537 |
| Dental Assisting | ITC / AAS | 1 year / 2 years | Nampa Campus | ITC: CODA | DANB CDA | $7,188 / $11,915 |
| Law Enforcement | ITC / AAS | 1 year / 2 years | Canyon County Center | Idaho POST-approved academy | POST requirements | $6,875 / $12,180 |
| Fire Service Technology | BTC / AA | 0.5 year / 2 years | Canyon County Center | Some pathways IFSAC | Idaho Firefighter I, Hazmat | $6,222 / $14,010 |
| Welding & Metals Fabrication | BTC / ITC / AAS | 1 year (BTC) to 2 years | Nampa Campus | – | AWS certification prep | $5,532 / $10,870 / $13,450 |
| Automotive Technology | BTC / ATC / AAS | 1 year (BTC) | Nampa Campus | ASE Education Foundation (Master) | – | $11,743 / $17,098 / $18,681 |
| Collision Repair Technology | BTC / ITC / AAS | – | Nampa Campus | I-CAR training site | I-CAR ProLevel 1 | $11,003 / $15,526 / $18,141 |
| Heavy-Duty Truck Technician | ATC / AAS | 2 years (AAS) | Nampa Campus | ASE Education Foundation (Master Truck) | – | $17,324 / $19,528 |
| Drafting Technology | ITC / ATC / AAS | 1 year (ITC) | Nampa Campus | – | AutoCAD, Revit, SolidWorks | $5,420 / $9,955 / $11,503 |
| Horticulture Technology | ITC / ATC / AAS | 1 year (ITC) / 2 years (AAS) | Nampa Campus | – | – | $6,036 / $10,524 / $11,556 |
| Advanced Mechatronics Engineering Technology | BTC / AAS | – | Micron Training Center, Boise | – | – | – |
| Cybersecurity | ATC / AAS | 18-month accelerated option | Ada County Center | NSA CAE-CD | CompTIA A+ to CySA+ | $11,039 / $12,071 |
| Cisco Networking & Security | BTC / ATC / AAS | – | Ada County Center | – | CCNA, CyberOps Associate, A+ | $4,673 / $10,549 / $11,581 |
| AI & Cloud Computing | AAS | 2 years | Ada County Center | – | PCEP, CompTIA Data+ | $12,041 |
| Marketing Communications | BTC / ITC / ATC / AAS | – | Canyon County Center | – | – | $1,658 / $5,846 / $9,648 / $10,680 |
| Business Administration | BAS | 4 years (about 2 after an AAS) | Nampa Campus or fully online | NWCCU (baccalaureate) | – | $24,871 |
CWI’s 2026-27 catalog lists 127 credential options. Besides the programs above, it offers Heavy Equipment Technician, Machine Tool Technology, Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Powersports and Small Engine Repair, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Software Development, Computer Support Specialist, Cloud, Security & System Administration, Bookkeeping and Accounting, Administrative Specialist, Management and Early Childhood Education; we have not reviewed those program pages. Admission to the college is open, but Registered and Practical Nursing, Surgical Technology, the therapy assistant programs and Law Enforcement have their own competitive applications. Some degrees that sound like job training are transfer degrees: Animal Veterinary Sciences, Exercise Science, Health Science, Computer Science, Engineering, STEM, Communication and Criminal Justice prepare students to continue at a four-year school. CWI has no veterinary technician, paramedic or truck-driving (CDL) program.
What the main programs cover
Registered and practical nursing
Both nursing programs take a separate application after college admission. RN applicants sit the Kaplan Nursing Admissions Exam and apply between 1 and 31 October 2026 for a Spring 2027 start or between 1 and 31 March 2027 for Fall 2027. The RN degree is listed as three years, and practical nursing as 1.5 or two years. Since August 2025 both have been taught in the Norco Health & Science Building on the Nampa Campus. CWI reports RN completion of 91% in 2025, and PN completion of 50% in 2024 and 83% in 2023.
Surgical technology and the therapy assistant programs
Surgical Technology starts each summer and runs two years toward the NBSTSA’s CST exam, and the Surgical First Assistant credential is an advanced option for working surgical technologists. The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is full-time and in person for 2.5 years, and the Physical Therapist Assistant program also runs 2.5 years. Each has its own accreditor (CAAHEP, ACOTE and CAPTE) and a competitive application. Ask each program about clinical placements, hours and travel.
Law enforcement and fire
The Law Enforcement credentials include an Idaho POST-approved Basic Patrol Academy, so cadets train for POST’s fitness, marksmanship and written-exam standards inside the degree or certificate rather than in a separate academy afterward. Applicants need to pass a background check and a polygraph. In Fire Service Technology, the FIRE 101 course leads to the Idaho Firefighter I, Hazmat Awareness and Hazmat Operations exams. Both are based at the Canyon County Center, which also hosts the non-credit EMT course.
Automotive, collision and heavy-duty truck
The three vehicle programs share the Nampa Campus but differ in focus. Automotive Technology starts with a one-year Maintenance & Light Repair certificate and is accredited by the ASE Education Foundation at the Master Automobile Service Technology level. Collision Repair is an I-CAR training site where students work toward ProLevel 1 in Non-Structural and Refinishing. Heavy-Duty Truck Technician is accredited for Master Truck Service Technology and works with truck dealers including JG Peterbilt, Kenworth Sales, Freightliner Northwest and Rush Truck Centers. CWI says additional costs may apply beyond tuition.
Cybersecurity, networking and AI
The technology programs are taught at the Ada County Center in Boise. Cybersecurity students work through CompTIA A+ up to CySA+ and train in the center’s Security Operations Center; a traditional cohort starts each fall, and an 18-month accelerated hyflex option is offered. Cisco Networking prepares for the CCNA and CyberOps Associate exams. The newer AI & Cloud Computing AAS covers machine learning, AI tools and AWS, with PCEP and CompTIA Data+ as certification targets. These programs will move to the Micron Academic Center when it opens in fall 2027.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC apprenticeships
The three apprenticeships are non-credit classroom instruction for people employed in the trade; CWI describes them as earn-while-you-learn and requires that employment. Each year is four 8-week sessions, labelled A to D, at the Canyon County Center, and each program says it meets Idaho apprentice requirements and prepares for Idaho journeyman certification. Apprentices and journeymen who want a degree can use the Applied Technology and Apprenticeship AAS to finish an associate degree. Advanced Opportunities funding can pay for some apprenticeship classes for high-school students.
Workforce Development: non-credit courses and apprenticeships
CWI’s Workforce Development & Training division sells short career courses and apprenticeship instruction by the course, with open registration and payment in full or a payment arrangement at sign-up; there is no admission process. Classes run at CWI locations across southwest Idaho and online. Several online health courses are delivered with the partner CareerStep, and some are self-paced. The table lists the main ones, checked in October 2026.
| Course | Length | Delivery and where | Leads to | Price (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA Preparation | 12 weeks; age 16+ | Nampa Campus; online theory option, in-person skills | Idaho CNA certification exam | $975 + materials |
| Emergency Medical Technician | Hours not stated; age 18+ | Canyon County Center | NREMT EMT exam | $1,570 + materials |
| Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC Apprenticeships | Four 8-week sessions a year; must work in the trade | Canyon County Center | Idaho journeyman certification | $1,500 a year or $375 a session + materials |
| Pharmacy Technician (CareerStep) | 4–12 months, self-paced, plus a retail externship | Online | PTCB exam | $3,899 |
| Medical Coding & Billing Professional (CareerStep) | 12 months, self-paced | Online | AAPC CPC (voucher included) | $3,699 |
| Medical Administrative Assistant (CareerStep) | About 8 months | Online | NHA CMAA | $3,499 |
| Medical Assistant (Online); Dental Assistant (Online) | As little as 12 months | Online plus 100 clinical or externship hours | – | – |
CWI also lists Advanced EMT, Phlebotomy & Specimen Processing, Mental Health Technician, Hemodialysis Technician, Assistance with Medications, a Wildland Fire Academy, EPA 608 training, FANUC Robotics, PLCs, forklift and flagging courses, and electrical, plumbing and HVAC upgrade training. The Patient Care Technician course that CWI used to list with CareerStep now appears only as an archived listing.
Tuition for 2026-27 and how students pay
CWI charges by the credit. The rates below are from its tuition page, updated 27 April 2026.
| Student | Lower-division, per credit | Upper-division (BAS), per credit | 2025-26 lower-division |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-district (Ada and Canyon county residents) | $172 | $301 | $156 |
| Other Idaho residents | $222 ($172 + $50 surcharge) | $351 | $206 |
| Out-of-state and international | $336 | $351 | $320 |
| Idaho dual credit | $75 | – | – |
The $50 out-of-district surcharge for other Idaho residents is capped at $500 a semester. Students taking six or more credits also pay a $55 instructional support fee each semester, and course materials and program fees are extra. As a rough guide, our own arithmetic for 24 credits a year with two semesters of fees comes to about $4,238 in-district, $5,238 for other Idaho residents and $8,174 out of state, before materials. College Navigator lists 2024-25 tuition and fees of $3,446 in-district, $4,446 in-state and $7,454 out-of-state, and Niche puts the average net price at $7,784 a year. Workforce courses are priced separately, as shown above.
Credit students can use federal financial aid (OPE ID 04211800). In fall 2025, 962 Idaho LAUNCH students were enrolled at CWI, according to the college. High-school students can use Idaho’s Advanced Opportunities funding for dual credit and some apprenticeship classes. CWI has a Veterans & Military Family Services office in the CapEd Student Success Center on the Nampa Campus, and an education office at Mountain Home Air Force Base that supports military students but lists no courses.
Admissions and schedules
CWI has open admission to the college. Registered Nursing, Practical Nursing, Surgical Technology, the Occupational and Physical Therapist Assistant programs and Law Enforcement take a separate, competitive application with their own requirements, such as the Kaplan exam for nursing and a background check and polygraph for Law Enforcement. Some programs have fixed starts: Surgical Technology begins in summer, the traditional Cybersecurity cohort in fall, and RN in spring or fall. Classes are offered in person, online, hybrid and hyflex. Workforce courses have open registration with minimum ages of 16 for CNA Preparation and 18 for EMT.
Accreditation, pass rates and graduation rates
CWI is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), which first accredited it in 2016 and now lists it at associate and baccalaureate level. Its most recent evaluation is a Fall 2026 Mid-Cycle Review, and NWCCU lists no sanction.
Programmatic accreditors are in the programs table. One status needs attention: the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing’s most recent decision for the RN program is continuing accreditation with conditions. The sources we checked do not say what the conditions are or when CWI must report on them, so ask the nursing department. The practical nursing program holds ACEN initial accreditation.
| Program or measure | Result | Year and source |
|---|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN, first-time | 100% (52 testers); 89.13% in 2024; 100% in 2023 | 2025; Idaho Board of Nursing |
| NCLEX-PN, first-time | 100% each year (12 testers in 2025, 20 in 2024, 7 in 2023) | 2023–25; Idaho Board of Nursing |
| Surgical Technology, NBSTSA CST first attempt | 100%; 94% in 2023 and 2022 | 2024; CWI program page |
| Physical Therapist Assistant, NPTE | 76% first time, 88% ultimate (82% and 96% in 2024); graduation 88% and employment 100% (years not stated) | 2025; CWI’s CAPTE outcomes |
| Medical Assistant (ITC), job placement | 80.61% | Five-year average 2020–24; 2025 MAERB annual report |
| Fire, FIRE 101 state exams | 100% on Idaho Firefighter I and Hazmat each year | 2020–25; CWI program page |
| Graduation rate within 150% of normal time | 31% (plus 15% who transferred out) | Full-time, first-time students starting fall 2021; College Navigator |
| Graduation rate as reported by CWI | 36% | CWI news release, 2 October 2025 (cohort not stated); Niche also shows 36% |
| Retention | 66% of full-time and 46% of part-time students | Fall 2023 starters returning fall 2024; College Navigator |
The two graduation figures differ: College Navigator’s 31% is for students who started full-time in fall 2021, while CWI’s 36% comes from a news release that does not name the cohort. Both count only first-time, full-time students, a minority at a college where three-quarters study part-time. CWI also publishes RN job placement of 83% within six months for 2024, without defining it. We found no published results for the dental assisting, EMT or POST exams.
Before you enroll
- The RN program is accredited with conditions. ACEN’s latest decision is continuing accreditation with conditions, even though NCLEX-RN results are strong (100% in 2025). Ask what the conditions are and how the program is addressing them.
- Open admission does not mean open programs. Nursing, Surgical Technology, the therapy assistant programs and Law Enforcement have competitive applications, and RN and Surgical Technology have set start terms, so plan prerequisites and deadlines early.
- Several degrees are for transfer, not jobs. Animal Veterinary Sciences, Exercise Science, Computer Science, Engineering and Criminal Justice are transfer degrees. CWI has no veterinary technician program.
- Apprenticeships need a job in the trade. The electrical, plumbing and HVAC apprenticeships are priced by the year, require employment in the trade, and the program pages do not say how many years they take.
- The Boise technology site is moving. The Ada County Center is to be replaced by the Micron Academic Center in Boise’s River District in fall 2027, so cybersecurity, IT and business students starting now may finish in a different building.
Where CWI teaches: Nampa and Boise
The Nampa Campus at 5500 E. Opportunity Drive is the main campus, with the health programs in the Norco Health & Science Building (opened August 2025), the vehicle, welding and drafting programs, and the Agricultural Sciences Complex. The campus is spread over several buildings, including the Micron Education Center on E. Franklin Road, which holds advising, a computer lab and testing; they are all part of one campus. The Canyon County Center at 2407 Caldwell Boulevard, also in Nampa, holds public safety, the apprenticeships and Marketing Communications. In Boise, the Ada County Center in the Black Eagle business park teaches cybersecurity, IT and business, and the Micron Training Center on South Eisenman Road hosts mechatronics and semiconductor training with Micron.
CWI is building the Micron Academic Center, a 101,000-square-foot building at Main Street and Whitewater Park Boulevard in Boise’s River District, and plans to open it in fall 2027 to replace the leased Ada County Center. CWI also lists the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa (an arena, horse park, amphitheater and sports center) among its Nampa Campus facilities.
Career help and student support
Career preparation is mostly built into the programs: clinical and externship placements in the health programs, truck-dealer partners in Heavy-Duty Truck Technician, and Micron apprenticeship cohorts at the Micron Training Center. CWI also has a Work-Based Learning Center in the Academic Building on the Nampa Campus, and students can use One Stop Student Services, the Learning Commons and tutoring, Counseling & Wellness and Disability Services.
What students say
On Niche, the College of Western Idaho averages 3.95 out of 5 from 795 reviews, with an overall grade of B− (checked 7 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise low cost and good value, supportive professors and flexible online classes, and describe the campuses as clean and relaxed. Complaints center on little campus life, with few social events and no sports teams, and on uneven grading and teaching quality, which matches Niche’s C+ grades for academics and professors. Niche did not show review dates, so we could not check whether reviews arrived in bursts, and its ratings cover the college as a whole rather than individual trade programs.
Sources
Checked 7 October 2026: 2026-27 catalog: programs of study · CWI locations · Tuition and fees · NWCCU directory · College Navigator · Idaho Board of Nursing NCLEX results 2023–25 (PDF) · CWI Workforce Development & Training · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health (credit)
- Registered Nursing (Associate of Science)
- Practical Nursing (Intermediate Technical Certificate or AAS)
- Surgical Technology (AAS)
- Surgical First Assistant
- Occupational Therapy Assistant (AAS)
- Physical Therapist Assistant (AAS)
- Medical Assistant (Intermediate Technical Certificate or AAS)
- Dental Assisting (Intermediate Technical Certificate or AAS)
Public Safety (credit)
- Law Enforcement with Idaho POST Basic Patrol Academy (Intermediate Technical Certificate or AAS)
- Fire Service Technology (Basic Technical Certificate or AA)
Skilled Trades and Industrial (credit)
- Welding & Metals Fabrication (certificates or AAS)
- Automotive Technology (certificates or AAS)
- Collision Repair Technology (certificates or AAS)
- Heavy-Duty Truck Technician (Advanced Technical Certificate or AAS)
- Heavy Equipment Technician (certificates or AAS)
- Drafting Technology (certificates or AAS)
- Machine Tool Technology (certificates or AAS)
- Advanced Mechatronics Engineering Technology (Basic Technical Certificate or AAS)
- Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (Basic Technical Certificate)
- Powersports and Small Engine Repair Technology (certificates or AAS)
- Horticulture Technology (certificates or AAS)
- Unmanned Aerial Systems (Basic Technical Certificate or AAS)
- Applied Technology and Apprenticeship (AAS for apprentices and journeymen)
Technology (credit)
- Artificial Intelligence & Cloud Computing (AAS)
- Cybersecurity (Advanced Technical Certificate or AAS)
- Cisco Networking & Security Technologies (certificates or AAS)
- Cloud, Security & System Administration (certificates or AAS)
- Computer Support Specialist (certificates or AAS)
- Software Development (certificates or AAS)
Business and Education (credit)
- Business Administration (Bachelor of Applied Science)
- Management (AAS)
- Bookkeeping and Accounting (Advanced Technical Certificate or AAS); Professional Bookkeeping (BTC)
- Administrative Specialist (AAS, including a Medical Administrative Support emphasis)
- Marketing Communications (certificates or AAS)
- Early Childhood Education (Basic Technical Certificate or AAS)
Workforce Development: Health and Public Safety (non-credit)
- CNA Preparation, 12 weeks
- Emergency Medical Technician; Advanced EMT
- Phlebotomy & Specimen Processing
- Medical Assistant (Online) and Dental Assistant (Online), with 100 clinical or externship hours
- Pharmacy Technician, Medical Coding & Billing Professional and Medical Administrative Assistant (online, with CareerStep)
- Mental Health Technician, Hemodialysis Technician, Assistance with Medications
- Wildland Fire Academy
Workforce Development: Apprenticeships and Trades (non-credit)
- Electrical Apprenticeship
- Plumbing Apprenticeship
- HVAC Apprenticeship
- Electrical, HVAC and Plumbing upgrade training
- EPA 608, Certified Electronics Tech, FANUC Robotics, PLCs, Hydraulic Fundamentals
- Forklift, Flagging, short-term welding and computer drafting
Campus Locations
Nampa, ID 5500 E. Opportunity Dr., Nampa, ID 83687
Nampa, ID 2407 Caldwell Blvd., Nampa, ID 83651
Boise, ID 1360 S. Eagle Flight Way, Boise, ID 83709
Boise, ID 7075 South Eisenman Rd., Boise, ID 83716