Highline College

2400 S 240th St
Des Moines, WA 98198
Top Ranked (2024): View Rankings
  • Highline Community College is nationally and internationally recognized as a premier community college, a reputation earned through the development of an institutional culture that values innovation, globalization of curriculum, and community participation. It is one of 34 community and technical colleges in the state of Washington.

School Highlights

Highline College serves 5,829 students (54% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 11:1 is same as the state community college average of 11:1.
Minority enrollment is 75% of the student body (majority Asian and Black), which is more than the state average of 50%.

Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 5,829 students
  • In-state tuition: $4,000
  • Out-state tuition: $4,401
  • Student:teacher ratio: 11:1
  • Minority enrollment: 75%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

Highline College ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Washington for:

School Overview

The teacher population of 534 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Highline College
(WA) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associates Colleges
Associates Colleges
Institution Level
Four or more years
Four or more years
Institution Control
Public
Public
Total Faculty
534 staff
353 staff
This chart display total faculty of Highline College and community college average number of faculty in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of Highline College has declined by 7% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 11:1 has decreased from 12:1 over five years.
The Highline College diversity score of 0.84 is more than the state average of 0.71. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Total Enrollment
5,829 students
4,003 students
This chart display the total enrollment of Highline College and community college average number of enrollment of WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of Highline College and community college average student staff ratio of WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
3,140 students
2,116 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Highline College and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
2,689 students
1,887 students
This chart display the total number of Part-time students enrollment of Highline College and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
This chart display the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Highline College.
This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of WA.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
511 students
384 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
3,140 students
2,116 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Highline College and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
11 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
2,689 students
1,887 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
160 students
140 students
This chart display the dormitory capacity of Highline College and the community college average dormitory capacity of WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% American Indian/Alaskan
n/a
1%
This chart display the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in Highline College and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2012-13 school year data.
% Asian
18%
8%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in Highline College and the percentage of Asian community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Hispanic
12%
14%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in Highline College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Black
12%
5%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in Highline College and the percentage of Black community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% White
25%
50%
This chart display the percentage of White students in Highline College and the percentage of White community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Hawaiian
1%
1%
This chart display the percentage of Hawaiian students in Highline College and the percentage of Hawaiian community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Two or more races
12%
8%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in Highline College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Non Resident races
10%
6%
This chart display the percentage of Non Resident students in Highline College and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Unknown races
10%
7%
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Highline College.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in WA.
Diversity Score
0.84
0.71
This chart display the diversity score of Highline College and the community college average diversity score of WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
32%
30%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Highline College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of WA by year, with the latest 2013-14 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
2.2%
2.2%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$38,300
$36,400
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Highline College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of WA by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $4,000 is less than the state average of $4,105. The in-state tuition has stayed relatively flat over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $4,401 is less than the state average of $7,359. The out-state tuition has stayed relatively flat over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees
$4,000
$4,105
This chart display tuition fees for an in-state student of Highline College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees
$4,401
$7,359
This chart display tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Highline College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Tuition Notes
3 qtrs, 15 credits
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
48%
67%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Highline College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
$10,486
$11,794
This chart display median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in Highline College and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts
$5,500
$6,292
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Highline College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in WA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Acceptance Rate
n/a
100%
Source: 2021 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) , School Administrators

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Highline College cost?
Highline College's tuition is approximately $4,000 for In-State students and $4,401 for Out-State students.
What is Highline College's ranking?
Highline College ranks among the top 20% of community college in Washington for: Least expensive tuition, Diversity in US community colleges and Average community college minority breakdown.

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 5,829 students
  • In-state tuition: $4,000
  • Out-state tuition: $4,401
  • Student:teacher ratio: 11:1
  • Minority enrollment: 75%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Related School Videos

Did You Know?

For King County, WA public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $4,098 per year for in-state students and $7,784 for out-of-state students. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

King County, WA community colleges have a diversity score of 0.76, which is higher than the national average of 0.70. The most diverse community college in King County, WA is Highline College. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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