Public · Community college
Green River College
Auburn, Washington · Small city
- 16%
- Transfer rate
- $13,803
- Avg net price
- 39%
- Grad / completion
- $50,712
- Median earnings
Green River College is a public associate-granting institution in Auburn, Washington (small city setting), enrolling 4,965 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Auburn, Washington
Auburn is a city in King County, Washington, United States (with a small portion crossing into neighboring Pierce County). Ballard filed for a plat to establish a town in February 1886, naming it Slaughter for an officer slain during the Indian wars in 1855. The White River Valley Museum's exhibits feature Auburn, from Native American history to the 1920s. They focus on the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, pioneer life, immigration from Europe and Japan, truck farming, railroading and the building of towns throughout the area. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Bachelor's
- Nearest big city
- 21 miles to Seattle, WA
- To the ocean
- 8 miles
- Nearest airport
- 11 miles to Seattle–Tacoma (SEA) · major hub
How Green River College compares
Higher than 24% · #33 of 58 in Washington
Higher than 91% · #7 of 51 in Washington
Cheaper than 55% · #38 cheapest of 58 in Washington
Lower than 31%
Lower than 78%
Larger than 91%
Percentiles compare Green River 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
- Women2,59352%
- Men2,37248%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White24%
- Black8.7%
- Hispanic15%
- Asian12%
- Other or multiracial40%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 4,965
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 19%
- First-generation students
- 45%
- Students over 25
- 24%
- Median family income
- $22,260
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $90,144
- Endowment
- $27,413,101
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 1,041 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Washington97%
- Other U.S. states2.9%
Most first-years stay in state — Green River 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
- $4,711
- Out-of-state tuition
- $5,263
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $528
- Total cost of attendance
- $22,040
- Average net price
- $13,803
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
- 39%
- First-year retention
- —
- Transferred to another college
- 16%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $43,127
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $50,712
- Median debt at graduation
- $11,891
- Students with federal loans
- 6%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 34%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NWAC
- Varsity athletes
- 99 (54 men · 45 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 (4)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.7 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 11
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 30
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (7,967 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: 12% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,741. 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 665 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)
- $50,712
- Typical debt at graduation
- $11,891
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 23%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 53%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.3 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 $13,518 (30%) 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
- 78°F
- Winter low
- 35°F
- Annual rain
- 40.1″
- Annual snow
- 6.3″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Kent, WA US station (7.8 mi from campus).
What Green River 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 Green River College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Green River College side by side →
Edmonds College
Lynnwood, Washington · Large suburb · 15 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 3,656
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 21%
- Earnings
- $48k
Pierce College District
Lakewood, Washington · Small city · 32 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 5,313
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 20%
- Earnings
- $48k
Highline College
Des Moines, Washington · Large suburb · 15 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 3,838
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 20%
- Earnings
- $48k
North Seattle College
Seattle, Washington · Large city · 6 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 3,074
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 29%
- Earnings
- $48k
Everett Community College
Everett, Washington · Midsize city · 28 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 4,709
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $45k
Bellevue College
Bellevue, Washington · Midsize city · 9 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 7,364
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 24%
- Earnings
- $56k
Colleges near Green River College
Paul Mitchell the School-Federal Way
Federal Way, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 147 students
Highline College
Des Moines, WA · Public · Associate · 3,838 students
Pima Medical Institute-Renton
Renton, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 456 students
Renton Technical College
Renton, WA · Public · Certificate · 1,783 students
Northwest College of Art & Design
Tacoma, WA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 139 students
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA · Public · Bachelor's · 4,185 students
Bates Technical College
Tacoma, WA · Public · Certificate · 1,813 students
UEI College-Tacoma
Tacoma, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 689 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.