South Puget Sound Community College

2011 Mottman Rd SW
Olympia, WA 98512-6292
  View full size
  Get directions
Tel: (360)596-5241
SAVE SCHOOL
  • As a comprehensive, open door community college, South Puget Sound Community College is committed to providing quality educational opportunities to meet the intellectual, academic, vocational, career, personal, and developmental education needs of its students and members of the community.
School Highlights
  • South Puget Sound Community College serves 4,881 students (57% of students are full-time).
  • The college's student:teacher ratio of 35:1 is higher than the state community college average of 31:1.
  • Minority enrollment is 33% of the student body (majority Hispanic and Asian), which is less than the state average of 41%.
  • South Puget Sound Community College is the only community colleges within Thurston County, WA.
  • The nearest community college to South Puget Sound Community College is Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom (19.6 miles away).

Top Placements

South Puget Sound Community College places among the top 20% of community colleges in Washington for:

School Overview

  • The teacher population of 138 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
South Puget Sound Community College(WA) Community College Avg.
Institution LevelAt least 2 but less than 4 yearsFour or more years
Institution ControlPublicPublic
Total Faculty138 staff145 staff
This chart display total faculty of South Puget Sound Community College and community college average number of faculty in WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.

Student Body

  • The student population of South Puget Sound Community College has stayed relatively flat over five years.
  • The student:teacher ratio of 35:1 has stayed the same over five years.
  • The South Puget Sound Community College diversity score of 0.53 is less than the state average of 0.62. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Total Enrollment4,881 students4,463 students
This chart display the total enrollment of South Puget Sound Community College and community college average number of enrollment of WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio35:131:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of South Puget Sound Community College and community college average student staff ratio of WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
# Full-Time Students2,799 students2,353 students
This chart display the total number of Full-Time students enrollment of South Puget Sound Community College and average number of community college Full-Time students enrollment of WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
# Part-Time Students2,082 students2,110 students
This chart display the total number of Part-Time students enrollment of South Puget Sound Community College and average number of community college Part-Time students enrollment of WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
This chart display the Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of South Puget Sound Community College.This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of WA.
% American Indian/Alaskan
1%
1%
This chart display the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in South Puget Sound Community College and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Asian
5%
7%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in South Puget Sound Community College and the percentage of Asian community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Hispanic
7%
10%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in South Puget Sound Community College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Black
1%
4%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in South Puget Sound Community College and the percentage of Black community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% White
67%
59%
This chart display the percentage of White students in South Puget Sound Community College and the percentage of White community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Hawaiian
1%
1%
This chart display the percentage of Hawaiian students in South Puget Sound Community College and the percentage of Hawaiian community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Two or more races
7%
5%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in South Puget Sound Community College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Non Resident races
1%
6%
This chart display the percentage of Non Resident students in South Puget Sound Community College and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Unknown races
9%
7%
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in South Puget Sound Community College.This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in WA.
Diversity Score0.530.62
This chart display the diversity score of South Puget Sound Community College and the community college average diversity score of WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
College Completion Rate
27%
31%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-Time students of South Puget Sound Community College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-Time students of WA by year, with the latest 2014-15 school year data.
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)$34,500$36,200
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of South Puget Sound Community 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.

Finances and Admission

  • The public in-state tuition of $4,321 is more than the state average of $4,032. The in-state tuition has grown by 20% over four years.
  • The public out-state tuition of $9,556 is more than the state average of $7,264. The out-state tuition has grown by 8% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees$4,321$4,032
This chart display tuition fees for an in-state student of South Puget Sound Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees$9,556$7,264
This chart display tuition fees for an out-of-state student of South Puget Sound Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid60%71%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in South Puget Sound Community College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in WA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates$8,664$10,614
This chart display median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in South Puget Sound Community College and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in WA by year, with the latest 2014-15 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts$5,271$5,830
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in South Puget Sound Community College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in WA by year, with the latest 2014-15 school year data.
Source: 2016 (or latest year available) IPEDS

School Notes

  • South Puget Sound Community College is a public two-year college. With more than 5,000 full-and part-time students, we are the largest college in the South Puget Sound area. Our main campus is nestled in a beautiful wooded area a few minutes away from the state capitol in Olympia, Washington. We also offer classes at our Hawks Prairie Center in Lacey and in Yelm. Founded in 1962 as Olympia Vocational Technical Institute Renamed Olympia Technical Community College in 1976 Mission expanded to become a fully comprehensive community college in 1980 Renamed South Puget Sound Community College in 1984 Established the Hawks Prairie Center in Lacey in 1995. The college offer occupational training for gaining the skills and knowledge you need for direct employment or career advancement in business and industry. Associate of Technical Arts degrees and/or certificates of completion are offered in a variety of areas. South Puget Sound Community College awards degrees of Associate of Arts, Associate Degree in Nursing, Associate of General Studies, and Associate of Technical Arts. Certificates are awarded for successful completion of vocational-technical programs. High school diplomas and the GED high school equivalency are also offered. The college is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. We offer college transfer, technical and enrichment courses.

Nearby Schools

  • College Location Mi. Students
  • Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom
    Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom Photo - Students gather outside the Gaspard Building on the Puyallup Campus.
    Public
    5,927 students | 19.60 Mi9401 Farwest Dr SW
    Lakewood,  WA  98498
    (253)964-6500     19.605,927
  • Centralia College
    Public
    3,317 students | 21.50 Mi600 Centralia College Blvd.
    Centralia,  WA  98531
    (360)736-9391     21.503,317
  • Clover Park Technical College
    Public
    3,682 students | 22.80 Mi4500 Steilacoom Blvd SW
    Lakewood,  WA  98499
    (253)589-5800     22.803,682
  • Tacoma Community College
    Public
    7,189 students | 24.20 Mi6501 S 19th St
    Tacoma,  WA  98466
    (253)566-5000     24.207,189
  • Everest College-Tacoma
    Private, for profit
    795 students | 27.50 Mi2156 Pacific Avenue
    Tacoma,  WA  98402
    (253)207-4000     27.50795
Recent Articles
Why More Students are Turning to Community College Today
Why More Students are Turning to Community College Today
We look at why millions of Americans are choosing community college over a traditional four-year school today.
Why Don’t More Community College Students Transfer to Four-Year Schools?
Why Don’t More Community College Students Transfer to Four-Year Schools?
Many students enroll in community college with the intent of transferring to a four-year school. Of those who do, many succeed, and yet traditional colleges and universities continue to overlook them. Read on to learn more about why more community college students don’t transfer schools and to receive some tips for making the transfer yourself.
What Can Community Colleges Learn from this Year’s Aspen Prize Winners?
What Can Community Colleges Learn from this Year’s Aspen Prize Winners?
Community college is the only option for many students who either can’t afford a traditional four-year university or who need a more flexible school environment. Just because community college is different, however, doesn’t mean that its students matter any less. The Aspen Prize exists to encourage community colleges to do more for their students and to continually strive for improvement.
Quick Stats (2020)
  • Students: 4,881 students
  • In-state tuition: $4,321
  • Out-state tuition: $9,556
  • Student:teacher ratio: 35:1
  • Minority enrollment: 33%
Did You Know?
For Washington public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $4,032 per year for in-state students and $7,264 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $14,830 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

Washington community colleges have a diversity score of 0.62, which is lower than the national average of 0.65. The most diverse community college in Washington is South Seattle College. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.
Most Popular Articles
Quick Links