Western Technical College (or Western, WTC) is a two-year vocational-technical school based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A member of the Wisconsin Technical College System, the Western Technical College District serves eight regional counties and enrolls over 5,000 students. Western is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
History
Founded in 1912, the school was previously known as Western Wisconsin Technical College (WWTC), but the "Wisconsin" part of the name was dropped on March 29, 2006. Western received voter approval for facilities improvement via referenda in 1992 ($8.9 million), 1996 ($3.65 million), and 2012 ($79.8 million).
Former names
- 1912-17: La Crosse Continuation and Adult Schools
- 1917-63: La Crosse Vocational School
- 1936-65: Coleman Vocational and Adult Schools
- 1965-68: Coleman Technical Institute
- 1968-87: Western Wisconsin Technical Institute
- 1987-2006: Western Wisconsin Technical College
- 2006â€"present: Western Technical College
Locations
Other locations where classes are offered include:
- Black River Falls
- Independence
- Mauston
- Sparta
- Tomah
- Viroqua
Programs
Western Technical College offers more than 65 degree programs, Lifelong Learning courses, GED/HSED classes, English Language Learners programming, and apprenticeship training in seven campus locations in western Wisconsin. The college's main campus is located in downtown La Crosse.
Western Technical College offers 43 programs of study including the Associate of Applied Science and Associate of Science in Liberal Arts, as well as technical diplomas and certificates. Also, Western has agreements with four-year colleges that allow students to transfer in with junior standing. As of 2006, these colleges were:
- Capella University
- Franklin University
- Marian University
- Milwaukee School of Engineering
- University of Minnesota Crookston
- University of Wisconsinâ€"Stout
- Upper Iowa University
- Viterbo University
Athletics
Western Technical College's sports teams are called the Cavaliers, who play in red and white colors. The school began athletics in 1965.
Rankings
In 2015, Western Technical College was ranked #41 in the nation among community colleges by WalletHub.
References
External links
- Official Web site
