Public · Community college
Big Bend Community College
Moses Lake, Washington · Remote town
- 12%
- Transfer rate
- $12,210
- Avg net price
- 42%
- Grad / completion
- $43,814
- Median earnings
Big Bend Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Moses Lake, Washington (remote town setting), enrolling 1,272 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Moses Lake, Washington
Moses Lake is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. Before the construction of Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in 1941 and Moses Lake Army Air Base in 1942 the area was largely barren. Moses Lake's historic economic base has been agriculture, but now includes considerable manufacturing and technology. Several companies have moved to the area, including REC Silicon (one of the world's largest manufacturers of polysilicon, used in solar panels). (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote town
- Highest degree offered
- Bachelor's
- Nearest big city
- 95 miles to Spokane, WA
- To the ocean
- 141 miles
- Nearest airport
- 44 miles to Pangborn Memorial (EAT)
How Big Bend Community College compares
Higher than 27% · #30 of 58 in Washington
Higher than 81% · #22 of 51 in Washington
Cheaper than 61% · #35 cheapest of 58 in Washington
Lower than 65%
Lower than 44%
Larger than 76%
Percentiles compare Big Bend Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Washington.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women71756%
- Men55544%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White34%
- Black1.6%
- Hispanic52%
- Asian0.7%
- Other or multiracial12%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,272
- Student–faculty ratio
- 17 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 35%
- First-generation students
- 53%
- Students over 25
- 26%
- Median family income
- $24,000
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $89,496
- Endowment
- $3,708,675
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 368 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Washington91%
- Other U.S. states8.7%
Most first-years stay in state — Big Bend Community College draws overwhelmingly from Washington.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $5,059
- Out-of-state tuition
- $5,619
- Room & board
- $17,310
- Books & supplies
- $528
- Total cost of attendance
- $21,661
- Average net price
- $12,210
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 42%
- First-year retention
- —
- Transferred to another college
- 12%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $35,267
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $43,814
- Median debt at graduation
- $9,166
- Students with federal loans
- 7%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 33%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 200
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 16%
- Housing charge (year)
- $3,450
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NWAC
- Varsity athletes
- 164 (92 men · 72 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (5)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.4 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,857 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 32% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,541. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 330 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $43,814
- Typical debt at graduation
- $9,166
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 21%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 45%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $12,003 (31%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 90°F
- Winter low
- 24°F
- Annual rain
- 7.8″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Moses Lake Grant CO AP, WA US station (1.7 mi from campus).
What Big Bend Community College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Big Bend Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Big Bend Community College side by side →
Centralia College
Centralia, Washington · Distant town · 68 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 1,552
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $43k
Wenatchee Valley College
Wenatchee, Washington · Small city · 94 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 1,759
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $41k
Whatcom Community College
Bellingham, Washington · Small city · 82 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 2,378
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $44k
Yakima Valley College
Yakima, Washington · Small city · 110 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 2,770
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $43k
Walla Walla Community College
Walla Walla, Washington · Small city · 116 mi to Spokane
- Students
- 2,418
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $44k
Clover Park Technical College
Lakewood, Washington · Small city · 31 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 2,636
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $42k
Colleges near Big Bend Community College
Wenatchee Valley College
Wenatchee, WA · Public · Associate · 1,759 students
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA · Public · Bachelor's · 7,833 students
Columbia Basin College
Pasco, WA · Public · Associate · 4,640 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Richland
Richland, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 256 students
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences
Yakima, WA · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Pacific Northwest Christian College
Kennewick, WA · Private nonprofit · Associate · 129 students
Victoria's Academy of Cosmetology
Kennewick, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 34 students
Yakima Valley College
Yakima, WA · Public · Associate · 2,770 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.











