Whatcom Community College

237 W Kellogg Rd
Bellingham, WA 98226
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Tel: (360) 383-3000
www.whatcom.edu
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Whatcom Community College Photo #1 - Faculty and student.
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Whatcom Community College Photo #1 - Faculty and student.
Whatcom Community College Photo #2 - Kulshan Hall
Whatcom Community College Photo #3 - Students studying outside.
Whatcom Community College Photo #4 - Library interior.
Whatcom Community College Photo #5 - Student ambassadors in quad.
Whatcom Community College Photo #6 - Students in class.
Whatcom Community College Photo #7 - Students walking down hall.
  • Whatcom Community College is a regionally and nationally accredited two-year college with an accomplished faculty and staff who serve nearly 11,000 students annually. On its 72-acre campus in Bellingham, Wash., and through online courses, Whatcom offers transfer degrees, professional-technical training programs, as well as basic education, job skills, and Community & Continuing Education classes. According to the Aspen Institute (2016), WCC is rated among the top nine community and technical colleges in the state and recognized as one of the leading community colleges in the nation. Established in 1967, Whatcom has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1976.

School Highlights

Whatcom Community College serves 4,152 students (55% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 12:1 is lower than the state community college average of 13:1.
Minority enrollment is 42% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 53%.

School Overview

The teacher population of 350 teachers has grown by 133% over five years.
Whatcom Community College(WA) Community College Avg.
Carnegie ClassificationBaccalaureate/Associate's Colleges: Associate's DominantBaccalaureate/Associate's Colleges: Associate's Dominant
Institution LevelLess than 2 yrsFour or more years
Institution ControlPublicPublic
Total Faculty350 staff353 staff
This chart display total faculty of Whatcom Community College and community college average number of faculty in WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
School CalendarLink to School Calendar

Student Body

The student population of Whatcom Community College has declined by 62% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 12:1 has decreased from 47:1 over five years.
The Whatcom Community College diversity score of 0.63 is less than the state average of 0.73. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Total Enrollment4,152 students4,700 students
This chart display the total enrollment of Whatcom Community College and community college average number of enrollment of WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio12:113:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of Whatcom Community College and community college average student staff ratio of WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
# Full-Time Students2,293 students2,313 students
This chart display the total number of Full-Time students enrollment of Whatcom Community College and average number of community college Full-Time students enrollment of WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
# Part-Time Students1,859 students2,387 students
This chart display the total number of Part-Time students enrollment of Whatcom Community College and average number of community college Part-Time students enrollment of WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
This chart display the Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of Whatcom Community College. This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of WA.
Total Dormitory Capacity		-140 students
This chart display the dormitory capacity of Whatcom Community College and the community college average dormitory capacity of WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% American Indian/Alaskan
1%
1%
This chart display the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in Whatcom Community College and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% Asian
5%
7%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in Whatcom Community College and the percentage of Asian community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% Hispanic
14%
15%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in Whatcom Community College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% Black
2%
5%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in Whatcom Community College and the percentage of Black community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% White
58%
47%
This chart display the percentage of White students in Whatcom Community College and the percentage of White community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% Two or more races
8%
8%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in Whatcom Community College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% Non Resident races
5%
4%
This chart display the percentage of Non Resident students in Whatcom Community College and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
% Unknown races
7%
12%
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Whatcom Community College. This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in WA.
Diversity Score0.630.73
This chart display the diversity score of Whatcom Community College and the community college average diversity score of WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
College Completion Rate
31%
30%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-Time students of Whatcom 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)$36,200$36,400
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Whatcom 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.

Tuition Cost and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $4,031 is less than the state average of $4,058. The in-state tuition has declined by 6% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees$4,031$4,058
This chart display tuition fees for an in-state student of Whatcom Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
Tuition NotesIncludes tuition onl
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid58%64%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Whatcom Community College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in WA by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates$9,917$12,000
This chart display median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in Whatcom Community College and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in WA by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts$6,001$6,267
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Whatcom 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 2018-19 school year data.

Sports

Total Sports Offered3 sports
SportsBasketball, Soccer, VolleyballBasketball, Soccer,
Volleyball

Extracurriculars

Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.4 extracurriculars
ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.Club or Organization:
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Student clubs and activities

Arts and Music Programs:
Choir and drama programs

Recreational Athletic Programs:
Clubs and intramural sports teams
Source: 2020 (or latest year available) IPEDS

School Notes

  • Whatcom Community College is a regionally and nationally accredited two-year college with an accomplished faculty and staff who serve nearly 11,000 students annually. On its 72-acre campus in Bellingham, Wash., and through online courses, Whatcom offers transfer degrees, professional-technical training programs, as well as basic education, job skills, and Community & Continuing Education classes. According to the Aspen Institute (2016), WCC is rated among the top nine community and technical colleges in the state and recognized as one of the leading community colleges in the nation. Established in 1967, Whatcom has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1976.

Nearby Schools

The nearest community college to Whatcom Community College is Bellingham Technical College (2.2 miles away).
  • College Location Mi. Students
  • Bellingham Technical College
    Public
    2,325 students | 2.20 Mi3028 Lindbergh Ave
    Bellingham, WA 98225
    (360) 752-7000     2.202,325
  • Skagit Valley College
    Public
    5,085 students | 26.00 Mi2405 E. College Way
    Mount Vernon, WA 98273
    (360) 416-7600     26.005,085
  • Everett Community College
    Public
    7,977 students | 56.20 Mi2000 Tower Street
    Everett, WA 98201
    (425) 388-9100     56.207,977
  • Peninsula College
    Public
    1,966 students | 63.80 Mi1502 E Lauridsen Blvd
    Port Angeles, WA 98362
    (360) 452-9277     63.801,966
  • Edmonds Community College
    Edmonds Community College Photo - Edmonds Community College offers Associate of Science degrees with areas of emphasis in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geology and Earth Science, Physics, Computer Science, General Pre- Engineering, and the Pre-Engineering areas of Bioengineering: Chemical, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Industrial, and Materials Science.
    Public
    7,877 students | 68.00 Mi20000 68th Ave W
    Lynnwood, WA 98036
    (425) 640-1459     68.007,877
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Quick Stats (2022)
  • Students: 4,152 students
  • In-state tuition: $4,031
  • Student:teacher ratio: 12:1
  • Minority enrollment: 42%
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Did You Know?
For Washington public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $4,058 per year for in-state students and $7,211 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $19,532 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

Washington community colleges have a diversity score of 0.73, which is higher than the national average of 0.71. The most diverse community college in Washington is Highline College. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.
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