Public · Community college

Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Kirkland, Washington · Large suburb

15%
Transfer rate: $6,817
Avg net price: 37%
Grad / completion: $50,669
Median earnings

Lake Washington Institute of Technology is a public certificate-granting institution in Kirkland, Washington (large suburb setting), enrolling 2,406 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicMidsize · 2,406 undergradsLarge suburbNear the coast

About Kirkland, Washington

Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The land around Lake Washington to the east of Seattle was first settled by bands of the indigenous Duwamish people, including the x̌ačua’bš ("lake people") and təbɬtubixʷabš ("people of the loamy place" or "ochre-painted people"). Kirkland had a gallery district downtown until recent years when all but three galleries closed or moved away. The Kirkland Performance Center hosts a number of performing arts events. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Large suburb
Highest degree offered: Bachelor's
Nearest big city: 10 miles to Seattle, WA
To the ocean: 10 miles
Nearest airport: 14 miles to King County International Airport - Boeing Field (BFI)

How Lake Washington Institute of Technology compares

#46 · Community Colleges with the Highest Graduate Earnings

Graduation rate37%

Higher than 22% · #35 of 58 in Washington

Earnings, 10 years after entry$50,669

Higher than 91% · #8 of 51 in Washington

Average net price$6,817

Cheaper than 83% · #9 cheapest of 58 in Washington

Median debt at graduation$15,047

Lower than 14%

Student–faculty ratio18 : 1

Lower than 39%

Undergraduate enrollment2,406

Larger than 84%

Percentiles compare Lake Washington Institute of Technology 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

Women1,31855%
Men1,08845%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White35%
Black4.8%
Hispanic17%
Asian11%
Other or multiracial31%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 2,406
Student–faculty ratio: 18 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 13%
First-generation students: 41%
Students over 25: 53%
Median family income: $22,342
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $89,226
Endowment: $506,535

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 446 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

From Washington98%
Other U.S. states2.2%

Most first-years stay in state — Lake Washington Institute of Technology 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: $5,997
Out-of-state tuition: $12,062
Room & board: —
Books & supplies: $1,794
Total cost of attendance: $16,339
Average net price: $6,817

Outcomes

Graduated: 37%
First-year retention: —
Transferred to another college: 15%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $44,895
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $50,669
Median debt at graduation: $15,047
Students with federal loans: 5%
Paying down their loans (1 year in): 44%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students

37%

Low-income (Pell)

38%

First-generation

40%

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: No
Application fee: Free

Campus safety

Safety grade: A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students: 0.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024): 1
Property offenses (2022–2024): 0

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

0.3reported offenses a year

0.3 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

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

$5,255

$30–48k

$7,088

$48–75k

$9,784

$75–110k

$4,592

$110k+

$16,339

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.

11%

of first-years get a grant from the school

$1,592

average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 11% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,592. 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 271 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): $50,669
Typical debt at graduation: $15,047
Debt vs. one year's pay: 30%
Out-earn a HS grad: 58%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.0 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

$49,023

Men

$56,300

Men out-earn women by $7,277 (15%) 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: 77°F
Winter low: 37°F
Annual rain: 37.8″
Annual snow: 3.8″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Seattle Sand PT Wsfo, WA US station (4.3 mi from campus).

What Lake Washington Institute of Technology graduates study — and earn

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsCert.

233 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

233———Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssoc.

74 grads$83k 1 yr$88k 5 yr$15k debt

74$83,313$87,749$15,000 Precision Metal WorkingCert.

70 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

70———Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCert.

58 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

58———Accounting and Related ServicesCert.

43 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

43———Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssoc.

35 grads$45k 1 yr$47k 5 yr$20k debt

35$45,385$47,177$20,335 Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business ServicesCert.

34 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

34———Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsCert.

33 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

33———Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCert.

31 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

31———Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCert.

30 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

30———Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

30 grads$77k 1 yr— 5 yr$24k debt

30$77,431—$23,750 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssoc.

28 grads— 1 yr$45k 5 yr— debt

28—$45,333—

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 Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Lake Washington Institute of Technology side by side →

Bates Technical College

Public

Tacoma, Washington · Midsize city · 25 mi to Seattle

Students: 1,813
Tuition: $6k
Transfer: 8%
Earnings: $50k

Bellingham Technical College

Public

Bellingham, Washington · Small city · 81 mi to Seattle

Students: 1,733
Tuition: $4k
Transfer: 17%
Earnings: $50k

Renton Technical College

Public

Renton, Washington · Midsize city · 11 mi to Seattle

Students: 1,783
Tuition: $6k
Transfer: 12%
Earnings: $50k

Shoreline College

Public

Shoreline, Washington · Large suburb · 10 mi to Seattle

Students: 3,046
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 15%
Earnings: $52k

South Seattle College

Public

Seattle, Washington · Large city · 4 mi to Seattle

Students: 1,616
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 15%
Earnings: $44k

Tacoma Community College

Public

Tacoma, Washington · Midsize city · 27 mi to Seattle

Students: 4,668
Tuition: $6k
Transfer: 20%
Earnings: $47k

Colleges near Lake Washington Institute of Technology

DigiPen Institute of Technology

Redmond, WA · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 995 students

1 mi

Northwest University

Kirkland, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 645 students

3 mi

Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education

Kirkland, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 405 students

4 mi

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Bothell, WA · Public · Bachelor's · 5,457 students

4 mi

Cascadia College

Bothell, WA · Public · Associate · 1,032 students

4 mi

Bastyr University

Kenmore, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 39 students

4 mi

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA · Public · Bachelor's · 31,942 students

7 mi

Pima Medical Institute-Seattle

Seattle, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 471 students

7 mi

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.