Selkirk College: A Legacy of Accessible, Innovative Education in British Columbia

Nestled in the spectacular mountain landscapes of British Columbia’s West Kootenay and Boundary regions, Selkirk College stands as a beacon of accessible, high-quality post-secondary education. Founded in 1966, it holds the distinguished title of being British Columbia’s first regional community college. Created by a regional referendum in which 72 percent of electors voted in favour of establishing a local college, Selkirk College was born from a community’s collective desire to bring higher education closer to home. Today, it continues to honour that legacy, serving as the region’s only public post-secondary institution.

Campuses Across the Kootenays

Selkirk College operates six campuses across the West Kootenay and Boundary region, located in Castlegar, Grand Forks, Nelson, and Trail, with additional learning centres in Kaslo and Nakusp. The main Castlegar Campus serves as the administrative centre and is situated on 65 hectares of forested private land. The Tenth Street Campus in Nelson offers dormitory-style residences, while the trades-focused Silver King Campus in Nelson recently underwent a significant $24 million renovation, featuring modern shop spaces, a new student commons building, and additional residence beds. Each campus is uniquely positioned to offer students breathtaking natural surroundings and abundant recreational opportunities, from mountain trails and rock climbing to kayaking and world-class skiing. Buy fake diploma online.

A Diverse Range of Programs

Selkirk College offers over 60 programs at the certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, and degree levels. These span a remarkable breadth of disciplines, including creative and performing arts, environmental and natural resource fields, health care, community and social services, hospitality and tourism, business, skilled industrial trades, and university transfer programs in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Popular programs include the Associate of Arts Degree, Health Care Assistant Certificate, Pharmacy Technician Diploma, and the Associate of Science Degree.

Among its distinctive offerings, the Contemporary Music and Technology program partners with the world-renowned Berklee College of Music. The college’s forest management program has been offered for nearly 60 years, emphasizing hands-on field learning. Selkirk is also the only institution in British Columbia offering a forestry and environmental planning program recognized by the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists and the Association of BC Forest Professionals. Additionally, its Recreation, Fish, and Wildlife Biology program has earned acclaim from the North American Wildlife Technology Association.

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Student Support and Campus Life

Selkirk College is deeply committed to student success, offering small class sizes, dedicated faculty, affordable tuition, and on-campus residences. Student housing is available at two on-campus locations, accommodating nearly 250 students within a five-minute walk of classes, libraries, and recreational facilities. Recent provincial investments have added new, below-market housing options at both the Castlegar and Nelson-Silver King campuses.

Beyond housing, the college provides comprehensive student services, including career, academic, and personal counselling, co-operative education and employment services, accessibility services, Indigenous services, and tutoring. The Selkirk College Students’ Union operates food pantries across multiple campuses to support food security. In the 2024/25 academic year, the college awarded more than $515,000 in scholarships, bursaries, and assistance.

Research Excellence and Community Impact

Selkirk College has gained national attention for its research excellence. In the 2025 edition of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges, it placed 29th, making it the highest-ranked research college in British Columbia. Among Canada’s small colleges, it ranked second in both the number of paid student researchers—employing 84 students in research roles—and in research intensity. During the 2024 fiscal year, the college engaged in 134 partnerships, completing 101 research projects through its applied research arm, Selkirk Innovates.

A College Built by Community, For Community

With a mission to “inspire generations of changemakers through relevant, inventive and sustainable education”, Selkirk College serves approximately 2,500 full-time students and nearly 10,000 continuing education learners annually. Its four core values—community, access, respect, and excellence—guide its commitment to providing quality post-secondary opportunities in an environment attainable to all.

From its humble beginnings in 1966 with 458 charter students studying in converted bunkhouses, Selkirk College has grown into a cornerstone of the West Kootenay and Boundary regions. For over five decades, it has transformed countless lives through education, remaining true to the vision of the community that brought it to life. Whether through university transfer pathways, skilled trades training, or innovative applied research, Selkirk College continues to build remarkable futures—one student at a time.