| Fact | Treasure Valley Community College |
|---|---|
| Type | Public community college, Oregon; in-person, video-link and online classes |
| Campuses | 2 in 2 states: Ontario, OR (main) and the Caldwell Center, ID; outreach center in Burns, OR |
| Credentials | 93 degrees and certificates: certificates of completion, one-year certificates, associate degrees, and a bachelor’s in nursing |
| Program length | Quarter terms; one-year certificates about 45 to 53 credits, AAS degrees about 90 credits |
| Accreditation | NWCCU since 1966; ACEN (nursing ADN); CAAHEP (Medical Assistant certificate) |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| Founded | 1962, in Ontario, Oregon |
| Cost | 2026-27: $147 per quarter credit with mandatory fees for Oregon residents |
| Facts checked | 15 October 2026 |
Oregon’s community college on the Idaho line
Treasure Valley Community College (TVCC) is a public community college in Ontario, Oregon, near the Idaho line. It began in 1962 with afternoon and evening classes at Ontario High School and has been accredited since 1966. Its district covers parts of Malheur and Baker counties, and it serves Idaho students through its Caldwell Center in the Boise area. The college says it serves over 4,700 students a year; federal data show 1,483 undergraduates in fall 2024. Career programs lean toward healthcare, with an ACEN-accredited nursing degree and a CAAHEP-accredited medical assistant certificate, plus welding, EMT, criminal justice, early childhood education, business and apprenticeship training.
New trades and nursing buildings in 2026
Two building projects in Ontario change what TVCC can teach. On 2 January 2026 the college completed the purchase of a building at 297 SW 19th Ave for its Advanced Energy and Trades Center, where two new associate degrees, Facilities Maintenance Specialist and Advanced Energy Systems, start in fall 2026. The 30,000-square-foot Evelyn S. Dame Nursing and Allied Health Professions Center opens in fall 2026 and houses the nursing, medical assistant, EMS and nursing-assistant labs.
TVCC career programs and where they are taught
| Program | Credential | Length | Delivery | Where | Prepares for | Sample cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree Nursing | AAS (RN) | 6 quarters, fall start | In person | Ontario | NCLEX-RN | Per-credit tuition |
| RN-to-BSN | BS Nursing | 15 months (5 terms) | Online plus one local clinical term | Online | For licensed RNs | $250 per credit |
| Medical Assistant | One-year certificate (52 to 53 credits); AAS | About 1 year | Online or in person, evening and weekend labs | Ontario labs | NHA CCMA | Per-credit tuition |
| EMT Basic / EMT certificate | Course (12 credits); one-year certificate (52 credits) | Fall to winter for EMT Basic | In person | Ontario | NREMT cognitive exam | About $1,700 plus books (EMT Basic) |
| Welding Technology / Industrial Welding Technology | One-year certificate (52 credits); AAS (90 credits) | 1 or 2 years | In person | Ontario | None named | Per-credit tuition |
| Electrical Apprenticeship | Related training, 576 hours | 4 years with 8,000 OJT hours | In person with Zoom option | Ontario | State journeyman exam | $1,100 course fee plus books |
| Plumbing Apprenticeship | Related training, 576 hours | 4 years | In person, Zoom and Canvas | Run from Caldwell | Journeyman Plumber | $900 course fee plus about $180 books |
| Billing & Coding Specialist | One-year certificate (49 credits) | About 1 year | Ask TVCC | Ask TVCC | None named | Per-credit tuition |
| Business Office Administration | AAS (90 to 91 credits); shorter certificates | 2 years | Ask TVCC | Ask TVCC | None | Per-credit tuition |
| Applied Accounting Specialist / Business Management: Accounting | One-year certificate (45 to 46 credits); AAS | 1 or 2 years | Ask TVCC | Ask TVCC | None | Per-credit tuition |
| Criminal Justice | AAS (90 credits); Corrections certificate | 2 years | Ask TVCC | Ontario | No academy or DPSST certification | Per-credit tuition |
| Early Childhood Education | AAS (91 credits); certificate; CDA and Early Intervention certificates | 1 or 2 years | Ask TVCC | Ontario | CDA pathway | Per-credit tuition |
All credits are quarter credits. Credentials and course lists come from TVCC’s 2026-27 advising worksheets and program pages. The college’s degree list does not say where each program is taught, so “Ask TVCC” marks programs whose site is not published; programs in Ontario are those whose own page names the campus. TVCC also teaches aviation, agriculture, equine studies, wildland fire management, surgical technology and many transfer degrees, which are outside this page’s trade focus.
What the main programs cover
Associate Degree Nursing and RN-to-BSN
The nursing AAS is 60 nursing credits over six quarters, starting each fall. Admission is selective, scored on a points sheet, and licensed practical nurses can enter through an LPN-to-RN bridge. From fall 2026 the nursing labs are in the new Dame center. The RN-to-BSN is for nurses with an associate degree and an RN license: five terms over 15 months, online with one local clinical term, admitted by lottery with in-district priority. The catalog gives Fall 2027 for the first entry, but a 2026 news report said it starts this fall, so the start date is not yet confirmed.
Medical Assistant
The one-year certificate includes MA 112, MA 117 Clinical Procedures, MA 115 Phlebotomy, MA 116 Medications, a 5-credit MA 118 Clinical Procedures Practicum and MA 119 Externship Seminar. Lectures are online or in person, and labs run on evenings and weekends with limited campus visits. Students need a background check and a drug test before the practicum. The program prepares graduates for the NHA’s Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam, and the certificate is CAAHEP accredited on the recommendation of MAERB.
Emergency Medical Technician
EMT Basic is 164 hours across the fall and winter terms, followed by 20 hours of skills and test preparation in spring. It starts in September, is capped at 18 students, and needs college admission and placement testing first. The EMT one-year certificate is 52 credits on the worksheet (the program page says a minimum of 47). Advanced EMT runs as non-credit training for licensed EMTs, with a panel interview. TVCC has no paramedic program; the certificate can transfer into a paramedic degree at another college.
Welding
The certificate’s core is WELD 150 and 160 Basic Welding I and II, then shielded metal arc, gas metal arc, flux-cored arc and pipe welding, welding symbols and print reading, codes, procedures and inspection, and fabrication practices. The 90-credit Industrial Welding Technology AAS uses the same core plus WELD 190 Codes, Procedures and Inspections. The college says students may also choose individual certifications in MIG, TIG, arc and pipe welding; the worksheets do not name an AWS credential. Four shorter welding certificates of completion are also offered.
Electrical and plumbing apprenticeships
Both are four-year related-training programs of 576 classroom hours, and both curricula are certified for Idaho and Oregon registered apprentices. The electrical classes meet once a week for three hours in the Albertson Building in Ontario, with a Zoom option for out-of-town apprentices, according to a 2023 information sheet. Oregon electrical applicants must be 18 or older, have a diploma or GED and algebra, and work for a training-committee employer; Idaho applicants can be 16 and file a notarized application. Plumbing combines small in-person classes, Zoom and Canvas modules.
Early Childhood Education
The 91-credit AAS includes two strands. The Child Development Associate strand uses EDUC 140, 141, 150, 162 and 246, and can be finished as its own short certificate. The Early Intervention strand covers EDUC 230 to 233. Degree students take an EDUC 210 practicum in both spring terms. A one-year ECE certificate sits between the short certificates and the full degree.
Cost: per-credit rates by residency and location
TVCC charges per quarter credit, and it has no separate in-district rate. These are the 2026-27 rates on its tuition and fees page, which says rates can change without notice. The five main tiers pay $24 a credit in mandatory fees; Idaho-center courses add a $7 fee and online courses a $15 fee.
| Rate (2026-27) | Tuition per credit | With mandatory fees |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon resident | $123 | $147 |
| Out-of-state resident | $133 | $157 |
| Idaho-center course | $133 | $164 |
| Online, web or hybrid course | $123 | $162 |
| International | $238 | $262 |
| RN-to-BSN | $250 | Not stated |
| High school dual credit (Col-Cred) | $45 Oregon, $75 Idaho | Universal fee not charged |
Course fees, aviation fees and books are extra. The college does not define which students pay the Idaho-center rate or say whether an Idaho resident taking classes in Ontario pays the out-of-state rate, so ask before you register. Some programs publish their own costs: about $1,700 plus books for EMT Basic, a $1,100 course fee for the electrical apprenticeship and $900 plus about $180 in books for the plumbing apprenticeship. Federal data put 2024-25 tuition and fees at $6,345 a year in state and $6,795 out of state. TVCC takes federal student aid.
Admissions and class times
- Open admission: applicants are admitted to the college, then some programs select their own students.
- Nursing (ADN) uses an application scored on a points sheet, with one start each fall. The RN-to-BSN admits by lottery, with priority for in-district students.
- EMT Basic needs college admission and placement testing and takes 18 students; Advanced EMT needs an EMT license and a panel interview.
- The apprenticeships need registration as an apprentice, and in Oregon a job with a training-committee employer.
TVCC runs on quarter terms. The Caldwell Center holds classes from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., medical assistant labs are on evenings and weekends, the electrical apprenticeship meets once a week for three hours, and EMT Basic runs from fall to winter.
NWCCU, ACEN and CAAHEP accreditation
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities has accredited TVCC since 1966 and now lists it at the associate and baccalaureate levels, with no sanction listed. Its most recent review was a Fall 2025 policies, regulations and financial review, and a Fall 2026 evaluation of institutional effectiveness is due this term, with no outcome published yet. ACEN accredits the associate degree in nursing (since 2013); its continuing-accreditation site visit was on 24 February 2026, and the decision had not been published by 15 October 2026. CAAHEP accredits the one-year Medical Assistant certificate.
A 2025 financial audit gave the college a clean opinion with two findings, the Argus Observer reported on 12 March 2025: one on how grant funds for the nursing center were classified, and one on three students whose enrollment status was reported incorrectly to the federal loan database, which the college says it has corrected.
Graduation rates and licensing exam results
Of full-time, first-time students who started in fall 2021, 37% graduated within 150% of normal time and 15% transferred out, according to College Navigator. Of students who started in fall 2023, 58% of full-timers and 42% of part-timers returned in fall 2024. Niche, citing federal data, reports that 86% of graduates were employed a year after finishing and median earnings of $39,646 five years out.
The nursing program reports a first-attempt NCLEX-RN pass rate of 89% in 2025, with 100% passing by the second attempt, and 100% in each of 2022, 2023 and 2024, on its program page.
The Medical Assistant program reports a 100% exam pass rate for 2024 in its annual MAERB report, and a cumulative 98.15%. We found no published pass or placement rates for EMT, welding or the apprenticeships.
Before you enroll
- The electrical and plumbing programs are classroom training for registered apprentices. You need an apprenticeship and a sponsoring employer first; there is no stand-alone electrician or plumber program to enroll in.
- TVCC does not say which career programs are taught at the Caldwell Center. If you live in Idaho, confirm with the college whether your program runs in Caldwell, online or only in Ontario, and which tuition rate you will pay.
- The Billing and Coding Specialist worksheet lists billing, office and records courses but no ICD or CPT coding course, and it names no coding certification exam. Ask what coding instruction is included if you want to sit a coding exam.
- The Criminal Justice AAS includes no police academy or Oregon DPSST certification, and TVCC has no paramedic program; its emergency medical training stops at EMT and non-credit Advanced EMT.
- The nursing degree’s ACEN reaccreditation decision was still pending in October 2026, and the RN-to-BSN start date is not yet confirmed (the catalog says Fall 2027).
TVCC’s two campuses and other sites
- Ontario, OR: 650 College Blvd, Ontario, OR 97914
- Boise (Caldwell), ID: 205 S 6th Ave, Caldwell, ID 83605
TVCC has two public campuses: the main campus in Ontario and the Caldwell Center in Idaho. The Advanced Energy and Trades Center and the Dame nursing center are new Ontario-campus buildings, not separate campuses. The Harney County Center in Burns, Oregon, offers distance-learning courses, adult basic education and GED preparation, and proctored testing, but no career program is taught there in person. TVCC also teaches adult basic education, building and construction technology and transfer courses at five Oregon prisons, for incarcerated students only.
Housing and career help
The Ontario campus has a residence hall. The Caldwell Center offers career planning, advising, tutoring and financial-aid help. The Business Office Administration and Criminal Justice degrees include co-op work-experience courses (OA 280 and CJ 280).
What students say
On Niche, TVCC had a 3.84 out of 5 average from 355 reviews and an overall grade of B- when we checked on 15 October 2026. Reviewers most often praise supportive, approachable professors, small classes and a friendly campus community, and some single out programs such as aviation and wildlife science. The most common complaints are high dorm and textbook costs, few extracurricular activities, uneven help from student services and some doubts about course quality. Niche’s reviews cover the whole college, including transfer and residential students, and we could not tell whether any were invited or posted in bursts, so read them as a general picture rather than a verdict on any one career program.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Business
- Business Management: Accounting (AAS)
- Applied Accounting Specialist (One-Year Certificate)
- Business Office Administration (AAS)
- Office Specialist (One-Year Certificate)
Criminal Justice & Law
- Criminal Justice (AAS)
- Criminal Justice: Corrections (One-Year Certificate)
Education
- Early Childhood Education (AAS and One-Year Certificate)
- Child Development Associate (Certificate of Completion)
Healthcare
- Associate Degree Nursing (AAS, RN)
- RN-to-BSN (BS Nursing; start date to be confirmed)
- Medical Assistant (One-Year Certificate and AAS)
- Billing & Coding Specialist (One-Year Certificate)
- Medical Office Administration (AAS)
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Basic and One-Year Certificate)
Skilled Trades
- Welding Technology (One-Year Certificate)
- Industrial Welding Technology (AAS)
- Electrical Apprenticeship (related training)
- Plumbing Apprenticeship (related training)
- Facilities Maintenance Specialist (AAS, from fall 2026)
- Advanced Energy Systems (AAS, from fall 2026)
Campus Locations
Ontario, OR 650 College Blvd, Ontario, OR 97914
Boise (Caldwell), ID 205 S 6th Ave, Caldwell, ID 83605