Whatcom Community College
Whatcom Community College is a public community college in Bellingham, WA, with about 2,256 students on campus and 1,234 more studying only online.
What to know about Whatcom Community College
Lower-income students graduate as often as everyone else
37% of students with Pell grants finish, more than the 36% rate overall. At most colleges they trail by several points. 21% of undergraduates here get Pell grants. Outcomes ↓
Whatcom Community College focuses on liberal arts
43% of the degrees Whatcom Community College awards are in liberal arts; the next biggest field, health professions, is 17%. Majors ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students; graduation rates count only first-time, full-time students.
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
$113 a month against about $3,202 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 48% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
How hard is it to get into Whatcom Community College?
anyone with a high school diploma can enroll
Test scores of admitted students
No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Whatcom Community College is likely test-optional.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $19,672 a year
Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $11,037
After grants, the average family on aid pays $11,795.
Tuition and fees are $5,115 a year. The net price also counts housing, food and other costs at full price, so a student living at home pays less than it shows.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $24,822 over 2 years · 37% off the sticker price
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
The students
2,378 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Bellingham
17% of Bellingham’s 96,395 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Bellingham pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Whatcom Community College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.