| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year college district; campus-based, plus some online programs offered through Sheridan College |
| Campuses | 1, in Gillette, Wyoming (trades taught in the Technical Education Center) |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (A.A.S. career degrees and transfer degrees) and certificates |
| Program length | Certificates need at least 30 credits and associate degrees at least 60, per the 2025-26 catalog |
| Accreditation | HLC Candidate for Accreditation since 25 June 2026 (candidacy is not accreditation); programs currently offered under the HLC accreditation of Northern Wyoming Community College District (Sheridan College) |
| Federal aid | Yes, through Northern Wyoming Community College District (FAFSA code 003930) |
| 2026-27 cost | $168.00 per credit with fees for Wyoming residents, $224.50 for WUE states, $392.00 for other states and international students |
| Founded / owner | Gillette Community College District, formed 17 August 2021; programs offered in Gillette since 1969 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Gillette College: Wyoming’s newest college district
Gillette College is the public two-year college for Campbell County, the City of Gillette and the Town of Wright in Wyoming. Degree and certificate programs have been taught in Gillette since 1969, but for most of that time they belonged to Northern Wyoming Community College District, the district that runs Sheridan College. Local voters formed the Gillette Community College District on 17 August 2021, making it Wyoming’s eighth and newest community college district, and it began operating on 1 July 2022.
The college is still working toward accreditation in its own name. It became a candidate for accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission in June 2026 (candidacy is not accreditation), and until it is accredited, its programs, transcripts and federal aid run through Sheridan College’s district. Its career programs are mostly skilled trades aimed at mining, oil and gas and heavy-equipment work, plus a nursing degree.
Trade and nursing programs at Gillette College
The college’s program list has 29 entries, but six are not open to new students: History, Administrative Assistant and Pre-Professional are not accepting new students, and Athletic Training, Exercise Science and Human Services are due to start or restart in fall 2027. Four computer programs are Sheridan College online programs listed on Gillette’s site. The table shows the career programs Gillette teaches itself.
| Program | Credential | Length / starts | Where and how | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel Technology | A.A.S.; certificate | – | In person, Technical Education Center | – |
| Welding Technology | A.A.S.; certificate that stacks into it | Fall entry only | In person, Technical Education Center | – |
| Industrial Electricity | A.A.S. | Fall entry only | In person, Technical Education Center | Mine electrician (MSHA) pathway |
| Electrical Apprenticeship | Certificate | 4 years, evenings, alongside an 8,000-hour apprenticeship | In person; state-registered apprentices only | Wyoming Journeyman Electrician exam |
| Machine Tool Technology | A.A.S.; one-year certificate | Fall entry only | In person, Technical Education Center | – |
| Industrial Technology | A.A.S. (individualized) | – | In person | – |
| Nursing | Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) | 2 years; fall cohort, hybrid cohort from spring 2028 | Gillette | NCLEX-RN |
Only nursing has programmatic accreditation (ACEN, held through Northern Wyoming Community College District). The college does not claim ASE accreditation for diesel or AWS accreditation for welding.
What the main programs cover
Diesel Technology
The Diesel Technology A.A.S. and the shorter certificate are taught in the Technical Education Center. Courses work through diesel engines, electrical and electronic systems, hydraulics, drive trains, mobile air conditioning and welding, and students can take internships with industry employers, whom the college does not name. The lead instructor holds ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck certification. The college names trucking, mining, oil and gas, agriculture and heavy equipment as the main career paths, and students can compete in SkillsUSA at state and national level.
Welding Technology
The Welding Certificate stacks into the Welding A.A.S., and students enter only in fall. Alongside welding practice, the program teaches blueprint reading and weld symbols, inspection, destructive and non-destructive testing, weld qualification and computer-aided drafting. Instructors are Certified Welding Inspectors or Certified Welding Educators. The program’s catalog entries are hosted in Sheridan College’s catalog, and welding students can compete in SkillsUSA.
Industrial Electricity and the Electrical Apprenticeship
The Industrial Electricity A.A.S. starts each fall and covers motors, generators, pumps, lighting and controls, and programmable logic controllers, with a pathway toward mine-electrician (MSHA) work. The college does not say it counts toward Wyoming apprenticeship hours. The Electrical Apprenticeship Certificate is a separate four-year evening program for apprentices whose employer has registered them with the State of Wyoming. It runs alongside an 8,000-hour apprenticeship, meets Wyoming and US Department of Labor related-instruction requirements, and prepares apprentices for the Wyoming Journeyman Electrician exam.
Machine Tool Technology
Machine Tool Technology is offered as a one-year certificate and an A.A.S., both starting in fall only. Students learn CNC programming and machine setup and work from CAD prints, and the college points graduates toward jobs as CNC machinists and programmers. Machine tool students can apply for a Gene Haas Foundation scholarship. A separate Industrial Technology A.A.S. lets students build an individualized degree from the college’s technical courses rather than following one trade.
Nursing (ADN)
The Associate Degree in Nursing takes two years and uses the ReNEW nursing curriculum, leading to the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. Entry is competitive: applicants need the prerequisites, a 2.5 GPA in prerequisite and corequisite courses, a HESI A2 score of at least 75 taken by 28 February, and a meeting with the program coordinator, and they apply between 1 November and 1 March for the fall cohort. A hybrid cohort starts in spring 2028, with a 1 September 2027 deadline.
Tuition and how students pay
Gillette College charges by the credit, with three residency rates. Each rate in the table includes $56 per credit in mandatory fees (student, facility, technology and institutional), so the Wyoming resident rate is $112 in tuition plus $56 in fees, according to the college’s 2026-27 tuition and fees page. Course and lab fees are extra. The college has not yet posted a 2026-27 example of the full cost of attendance with books, housing and meals.
| 2026-27, tuition plus fees | Per credit | 30 credits |
|---|---|---|
| In-state (Wyoming residents) | $168.00 | $5,040 |
| WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange states) | $224.50 | $6,735 |
| Non-WUE states and international | $392.00 | $11,760 |
Federal aid (Pell Grants, SEOG, Work-Study and Direct Loans) runs through Northern Wyoming Community College District, so students list FAFSA code 003930. Wyoming students can also use the Hathaway Scholarship ($1,680 to $3,360 a year, plus a need-based part), Wyoming’s Tomorrow for students 24 and older (up to $1,800 a semester, $7,200 lifetime) and Wyoming Works (up to $840 a semester, or $1,680 for critical programs, for up to six semesters). Students aged 60 and older get 50% off tuition, not fees, through the Golden Age Grant. Veterans have a Veteran Services advisor and several scholarships that give veterans preference.
Open admission, with a competitive nursing program
Admission to the college is open, but that does not guarantee a seat in nursing, which has its own application and test score requirements. Welding, Industrial Electricity, Machine Tool Technology and the Electrical Apprenticeship admit students in fall only, and the apprenticeship meets in the evenings.
Accreditation: a candidate, not yet accredited
On 25 June 2026 the Higher Learning Commission’s board made the Gillette Community College District a Candidate for Accreditation at the associate’s level, according to HLC’s action letter of 30 June 2026. Candidacy is not accreditation. Candidacy runs four years: a biennial evaluation is due in 2027-28, a full evaluation for initial accreditation must take place by fall 2029, and HLC’s board is expected to decide in June 2030. The college says it is exploring whether it can seek accreditation earlier.
Until then, Gillette’s courses, certificates and degrees are included in the accreditation of Northern Wyoming Community College District (Sheridan College), which HLC accredits and which calls Gillette College its branch campus. That district issues transcripts during the transition and handles federal aid.
Nursing results
Nursing is the only program with published outcomes. The NCLEX-RN pass rates on Gillette’s nursing page, 90.38% for 2023 and 89.8% for 2024, match the program-wide figures (90.4% and 89.8%) for the whole district’s ADN, which is taught in Sheridan and Gillette, so they are probably not Gillette-only results.
| Year | NCLEX-RN pass rate | Program completion | Job placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 90.4% | 72.2% | 96.2% of 52 graduates |
| 2024 | 89.8% | 74.6% | 100% of 50 graduates |
| 2025 | 87.0% | 80.6% | 100% of 54 graduates |
The table shows the district-wide ADN results published by Sheridan College; job placement is based on the graduates who responded. Gillette has no graduation or retention rate of its own, because it reports federal data through the Sheridan College district. The trade programs say graduates find jobs but publish no figures.
Before you enroll
- Gillette College is not yet accredited in its own name. Its HLC candidacy began in June 2026, the accreditation decision is expected around June 2030, and until then your transcript and federal aid come through Northern Wyoming Community College District (Sheridan College).
- The four computer programs on Gillette’s list (Computer Science, Cyber Security, Computer Networking Administration and IT Support Technician) are Sheridan College’s online programs, not taught by Gillette College.
- Nursing is covered by Northern Wyoming Community College District’s ACEN accreditation and Wyoming State Board of Nursing approval. Gillette says it is seeking its own, so ask how a change would affect your cohort.
- There is no EMT, medical assistant or practical nursing (LPN) program. The Health Science A.S. is a general-education degree for students preparing to apply to nursing or other programs or to transfer, not a job credential.
- Administrative Assistant, History and Pre-Professional are not accepting new students.
One campus in Gillette
| Building | Address | What is there |
|---|---|---|
| Main Building | 300 West Sinclair, Gillette, WY 82718 | Main campus building |
| Technical Education Center | 3251 S 4-J Rd, Gillette, WY 82718 | Diesel, welding, electrical and machine tool programs |
| Inspiration Hall and Tanner Village | 265 and 251 West Sinclair Street | Student housing |
The campus also includes the Carter Health Sciences Center and the Pronghorn Center on College Drive. The college’s noncredit workforce courses, including CDL, MSHA, rigging and crane safety, PLC and weld testing, list no separate location.
Housing and career help
The college has on-campus housing: Inspiration Hall is a three-story residence hall and Tanner Village has apartment-style suites. Diesel, welding and electrical students can compete in SkillsUSA, and the trade program pages mention internships with industry employers.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Skilled Trades
- Diesel Technology (A.A.S.)
- Diesel Technology Certificate
- Welding (A.A.S.)
- Welding Certificate
- Industrial Electricity (A.A.S.)
- Electrical Apprenticeship Certificate (state-registered apprentices only)
- Machine Tool Technology (CNC) (A.A.S.)
- Machine Tool Technology Certificate
- Industrial Technology (A.A.S., individualized)
Nursing and Health
- Nursing (ADN / RN)
- Health Science (A.S., transfer)
Business
- Business
Online through Sheridan College
- Computer Science (A.S.)
- Cyber Security (A.A.S.)
- Computer Networking Administration (A.A.S.)
- IT Support Technician (certificate)
Workforce Training (noncredit)
- CDL
- MSHA
- Rigging and crane safety
- Hydraulics
- PLC
- Welding and weld testing
Campus Locations
Gillette, WY 300 West Sinclair, Gillette, WY 82718