Located throughout Seattle, Washington, Seattle Community Colleges form the second-largest system of higher education in the state. The first college-level classes were being held in the Edison Vocational Technical Institute in 1966, when Seattle Community College was founded as a part of the public school system. The Seattle Community College District was established by the State Community College Act of 1967. Accordingly, three colleges were opened as a multi-campus district in September 1970. Today the group comprises four campuses: North Seattle Community College, South Seattle Community College, Seattle Central Community College, and Seattle Vocational Institute. Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, all four institutions are public, state-supported facilities. North Seattle Community College is a two-year school located in the Northgate area, five miles north of the Seattle city center. Founded in 1970, the college offers professional and technical programs, community and non-credit programs, and pre-college programs. Sprawling over an 87-acre campus in residential West Seattle, South Seattle Community College offers academic programs in various areas of study, including accounting, automotive technology, cosmetology, culinary arts, landscape horticulture, and wine technology. The college was founded in 1969. Seattle Central College is a liberal arts and science college, dedicated to promoting educational excellence in a multicultural environment. It offers 37 two-year professional and technical education programs, and is well known for its award-winning mathematics and science programs. Seattle Vocational Institute provides basic vocational skills and workforce training opportunities through short-term, self-contained programs. Programs are offered in the medical, dental, and construction fields. There also are five training institutions in the district: Seattle Maritime Academy, Wood Construction Center, Sand Point Education Center, Duwamish Education Center, and NewHolly Learning Center.