The Seattle Colleges District (previously Seattle Community Colleges District) is a group of colleges located in Seattle, Washington. It consists of three colleges—North Seattle College, Seattle Central College (including the Wood Technology Center and Seattle Maritime Academy), South Seattle College (including the Georgetown Campus)—and the Seattle Vocational Institute. Together the colleges form the second largest institution of higher education in the state, behind the University of Washington, to which many of their graduates transfer.
The district's origins can be traced to 1902, with the opening of Broadway High School on Capitol Hill. It operated as a traditional high school until the end of World War II, when it was converted to a vocational and adult education institution for the benefit of veterans who wanted to finish high school but no longer fit in at regular schools. As a result, in 1946, Broadway High School was renamed Edison Technical School. Edison started offering college-level courses 21 years later, and it was reconstituted as Seattle Community College in September 1966.
North Seattle Community College and South Seattle Community College opened their doors in 1970, whereupon Seattle Community College was renamed Seattle Central Community College.
Seattle Central Community College was named Time magazine's Community College of the Year in 2001.
In March 2014, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to change the name from Seattle Community Colleges District to Seattle Colleges District and to change the names of the colleges to Seattle Central College, North Seattle College and South Seattle College.