Why Washington County - an overview

The Washington County Career Center (WCCC) offers technical career training to about 380 junior and senior high school students across the county. Three quarters of WCCC graduates are placed in jobs upon graduation and others pursue higher education.  Program offerings include: Transportation, Construction & Industrial, Medical & Service, Information Technology, and Academics .

Additionally, WCCC offers adult training programs in a broad array of fields i.e. Computer & IT Programs, Medical Programs, and Industrial Programs. WCCC has developed customized training programs to meet the needs of area industries. Notably, WCCC has a CISCO Networking Academy, Six Sigma/Lean Manufacturing, Chemical Operator I & II, Instrumentation & Electricity, and Programmable Logic Controllers.

Ohio University is located 29 miles from Washington County’s western border in Athens, Ohio. Established in 1804, Ohio University is the oldest public institution of higher learning in the state of Ohio and the first in the Northwest Territory. Undergraduate enrollment is over 20,000, and the campus size is 1,774 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Ohio University’s ranking in the 2018 edition of Best Colleges in National Universities, 151. Ohio University has been cited for academic quality and value by such publications as U.S. News and World Report, America’s 100 Best College Buys, Princeton Review’s Best Colleges, and Peterson’s Guide to Competitive Colleges. The John Templeton Foundation has also recognized Ohio University as one of the top character-building institutions in the country. OU offers a variety of degree programs for graduate students, too, through academic departments including the College of Education, the Russ College of Engineering and Technology and the College of Business.

Marietta College is a private, liberal arts college located in the heart of historic Marietta. Marietta College is one of America’s 37 “Revolutionary Colleges,” institutions with origins reaching back to the 18th century. Originally founded as the Muskingum Academy in 1797, today’s College was chartered in 1835. In 1860, Marietta became the 16th college awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the world’s oldest and most respected honorary society. (Only 7% of the nation’s colleges and universities have earned Phi Beta Kappa distinction.)  It has a total undergraduate enrollment of over a thousand students, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 90 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Marietta College’s ranking in the 2018 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Colleges Midwest, 8. Programs include leadership, petroleum engineering, fine arts, sciences, athletic training, education and journalism. Students have boundless opportunities for field experience, professional internships and study abroad.

Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) is a comprehensive two-year community college accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. WSCC offers over 2,000 students more than 50 programs of study. Articulation agreements with other institutions of higher education allow for WSCC credits to transfer to four-year institutions. Programs with Franklin University, Ohio University, Herzing University, Western Governors University and Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and Rio Grande University provide opportunities for students to finish a bachelor’s degree on the Washington State campus.  WSCO’s Early College Option called College Credit Plus (CCP) allows high school students to earn college credits while still in high school.

Just across the Ohio River in Wood County, West Virginia, West Virginia University at Parkersburg enrolls approximately over 2,000 students and additionally serves the community with non-credit classes, seminars, workforce development training, and workshops. Academic credits earned at WVU at Parkersburg are transferable to any institution in the West Virginia higher education state system as well as other accredited institutions throughout the country. WVU Parkersburg is the only public community and technical college in West Virginia accredited to offer baccalaureate degrees. The college’s primary service area consists of seven counties in West Virginia: Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt, and Wood.

Marietta Memorial Hospital is the foundation for the Memorial Health System.  It is a 199-bed, not-for-profit hospital located in Marietta, Ohio.  Its medical group includes over 150 physicians focusing on 40 specialties. Locations are throughout Washington- Noble and Monroe Counties in Ohio, and Wood County in West Virginia.  The staff of over 2,700 is committed to providing patients with quality, safety and a “personal experience."

Selby General Hospital, part of the Memorial Health System, is a 25-bed critical access hospital located in Marietta, Ohio.  There are over 85 physicians located throughout Washington County and surrounding areas. One of the leading services, joint replacement surgery, has been recognized by HealthGrades in the top 15% in the nation and the top 10 in the state of Ohio. Other services include emergency care; radiology, including the only PET scan in the area; lab services; physical therapy; respiratory services; surgical services; and geriatric psychiatric services.

The $12 million, 50,000 square foot Belpre campus provides an exceptional variety of high quality medical services all under one roof. The campus, located at 807 Farson Street, combines the clinical expertise of Marietta Memorial Hospital and their doctors with the ease and convenience of outpatient care. The Belpre Campus shows a commitment to working closely with local physicians and community needs. The campus has been designed as a “one stop health care facility” that offers physicians in family medicine, internal medicine and several specialty services.

Less than 20 miles from the center of Washington County, is the West Virginia Health System Camden Clark Medical Center Campus. Located in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the combined award-winning institutions have provided excellent care to residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley for 200-plus years.