Bellingham Technical College
Tel:
(360)752-7000
- Preparing an educated workforce is central to the mission of Bellingham Technical College. Today's workforce requires complex technical competencies as well as academic skills, positive work attitudes and habits, effective human relations, leadership, problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork skills.
School Highlights
- Bellingham Technical College serves 2,301 students (59% of students are full-time).
- The college's student:teacher ratio of 26:1 is lower than the state community college average of 31:1.
- Minority enrollment is 47% of the student body (majority Hispanic and Asian), which is more than the state average of 41%.
- Bellingham Technical College is one of 2 community colleges within Whatcom County, WA.
- The nearest community college is Whatcom Community College (2.10 miles away).
School Overview
- The teacher population of 89 teachers has declined by 33% over five years.
| Bellingham Technical College | (WA) Community College Avg. | |
| Carnegie Classification | Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges | Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges |
| Institution Level | Less than 2 yrs | At least 2 yrs but < 4 yrs |
| Institution Control | Public | Public |
| Total Faculty | 89 staff | 145 staff |
| Total Enrollment | 2,301 students | 4,463 students |
 | ||
| Student : Teacher Ratio | 26:1 | 31:1 |
| # Full-Time Students | 1,363 students | 2,353 students |
| # Part-Time Students | 938 students | 2,110 students |
 |  | |
| % American Indian/Alaskan | 1% | 1% |
| % Asian | 4% | 7% |
| % Hispanic | 7% | 10% |
| % Black | 3% | 4% |
| % White | 53% | 59% |
| % Two or more races | 3% | 5% |
| % Unknown races | 29% | 7% |
 |  | |
| Diversity ScoreThe chance that two students selected at random would be members of a different ethnic group. Scored from 0 to 1, a diversity score closer to 1 indicates a more diverse student body. | 0.63 | 0.62 |
 | ||
| College Completion Rate | 55% | 31% |
| Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years) | $41,500 | $36,300 |
Source: 2016 (or latest year available) IPEDS
School Notes
- The role and mission of Bellingham Technical College has its roots in vocational education in the Bellingham School District (BSD). The first 'Industrial School' was planned and constructed in 1911 by the BSD. This school evolved into a manual-training section of Whatcom High School. With the passage of the Smith-Hughes Act in 1917, courses in automotive mechanics and machine shop were offered at Fairhaven High School. Planning for the present program began in 1952 when it was realized that vocational programs offered by the local school district were not meeting the needs of the community. As a result of assessments of community vocational education needs by advisory committees from labor and management, Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute was established on its present 21-acre site at 3028 Lindbergh Avenue in 1957. The college offers Degree/Certificate programs and courses in Business, Computer Technology and Management, Culinary Arts, Engineering, Manufacturing & Industrial Technology, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Transportation & Mechanical and Health Sciences & Human Services. The degree & certificate programs at Bellingham Technical College rely on the involvement and support of over 300 business and industry employers and employees from the community. Bellingham Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges, Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. The Commission is an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Bellingham Technical College is located in the scenic Pacific Northwest, about 90 miles north of Seattle, 60 miles south of Vancouver, BC and just a mile northwest of downtown Bellingham.
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