Public · Community college

Highline College

Des Moines, Washington · Large suburb

20%
Transfer rate
$9,879
Avg net price
35%
Grad / completion
$47,869
Median earnings

Highline College is a public associate-granting institution in Des Moines, Washington (large suburb setting), enrolling 3,838 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicMidsize · 3,838 undergradsLarge suburbNWACNear the coast

About Des Moines, Washington

Des Moines is a city in King County, Washington, United States. What was to become Des Moines was first explored by Europeans on May 26, 1792, during the exploration of British naval Captain George Vancouver on his flagship HMS Discovery. The first Americans to visit the area were part of Charles Wilkes' Expedition. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Bachelor's
Nearest big city
15 miles to Seattle, WA
To the ocean
1 mile
Nearest airport
4 miles to Seattle–Tacoma (SEA) · major hub

How Highline College compares

Graduation rate35%

Higher than 20% · #41 of 58 in Washington

Earnings, 10 years after entry$47,869

Higher than 88% · #13 of 51 in Washington

Average net price$9,879

Cheaper than 71% · #24 cheapest of 58 in Washington

Median debt at graduation$9,500

Lower than 57%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 67%

Undergraduate enrollment3,838

Larger than 89%

Percentiles compare Highline 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

3,838undergrads
  • Women2,32561%
  • Men1,51339%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White15%
  • Black17%
  • Hispanic20%
  • Asian15%
  • Other or multiracial32%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
3,838
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
19%
First-generation students
50%
Students over 25
32%
Median family income
$18,708
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$96,642

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 715 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Washington98%
  • Other U.S. states2.1%

Most first-years stay in state — Highline 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
$4,772
Out-of-state tuition
$5,332
Room & board
$15,228
Books & supplies
$528
Total cost of attendance
$18,812
Average net price
$9,879

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
35%
First-year retention
Transferred to another college
20%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$42,323
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$47,869
Median debt at graduation
$9,500
Students with federal loans
2%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
27%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
35%
Low-income (Pell)
27%
First-generation
26%

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
160
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
4%
Housing charge (year)
$9,426
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NWAC
Varsity athletes
122 (54 men · 68 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 (6)

Soccer50
Basketball25
Softball15
Volleyball14
Golf9
Tennis9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
4
Property offenses (2022–2024)
30

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (5,592 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.

11reported offenses a year
1.3 violent a year10 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
8.0
Burglary
1.3
Rape
0.7
Arson
0.7
Robbery
0.3
Aggravated assault
0.3

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.

< $30k
$8,984
$30–48k
$9,689
$48–75k
$11,209
$75–110k
$11,455
$110k+
$12,378

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.

15%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$1,490
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 15% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,490. 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 525 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)
$47,869
Typical debt at graduation
$9,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
20%
Out-earn a HS grad
53%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$43,815
Men
$53,589

Men out-earn women by $9,774 (22%) 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

HighLow
30°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.16.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Kent, WA US station (3.4 mi from campus).

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 Highline College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Highline College side by side →

Colleges near Highline College

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.