Public · Community college

North Seattle College

Seattle, Washington · Large city

29%
Transfer rate: $10,740
Avg net price: 33%
Grad / completion: $47,728
Median earnings

North Seattle College is a public certificate-granting institution in Seattle, Washington (large city setting), enrolling 3,074 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicMidsize · 3,074 undergradsLarge cityNear the coast

About Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. By the time the first European settlers arrived, the Duwamish people occupied at least 17 villages in the areas around Elliott Bay. Seattle has been a regional center for the performing arts for many years. The century-old Seattle Symphony Orchestra has won many awards and performs primarily at Benaroya Hall. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Large city
Highest degree offered: Bachelor's
Nearest big city: 6 miles to Seattle, WA
To the ocean: 2 miles
Nearest airport: 12 miles to King County International Airport - Boeing Field (BFI)

How North Seattle College compares

#56 · Community Colleges with the Best Transfer Rates #87 · Community Colleges with the Highest Graduate Earnings

Graduation rate33%

Higher than 16% · #44 of 58 in Washington

Earnings, 10 years after entry$47,728

Higher than 88% · #14 of 51 in Washington

Average net price$10,740

Cheaper than 67% · #29 cheapest of 58 in Washington

Median debt at graduation$15,458

Lower than 13%

Student–faculty ratio18 : 1

Lower than 39%

Undergraduate enrollment3,074

Larger than 86%

Percentiles compare North Seattle 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

Women1,66554%
Men1,40946%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White28%
Black11%
Hispanic21%
Asian10.0%
Other or multiracial30%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 3,074
Student–faculty ratio: 18 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 14%
First-generation students: 40%
Students over 25: 59%
Median family income: $18,408
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $96,057
Endowment: $7,766,747

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 634 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

From Washington96%
Other U.S. states4.4%

Most first-years stay in state — North Seattle 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: $5,238
Out-of-state tuition: $5,796
Room & board: —
Books & supplies: $582
Total cost of attendance: $18,943
Average net price: $10,740

Outcomes

Graduated: 33%
First-year retention: —
Transferred to another college: 29%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $46,383
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $47,728
Median debt at graduation: $15,458
Students with federal loans: 2%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students

33%

Low-income (Pell)

13%

First-generation

13%

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: C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students: 2.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024): 1
Property offenses (2022–2024): 33

Reported offenses in an average year

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

11reported offenses a year

0.3 violent a year11 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary

Motor vehicle theft

1.0

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

$9,241

$30–48k

$9,989

$48–75k

$13,514

$75–110k

$13,526

$110k+

$18,943

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.

of first-years get a grant from the school

$1,532

average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 9% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,532. 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 434 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): $47,728
Typical debt at graduation: $15,458
Debt vs. one year's pay: 32%
Out-earn a HS grad: 54%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.2 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

$45,382

Men

$51,128

Men out-earn women by $5,746 (13%) 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 (3.7 mi from campus).

What North Seattle College graduates study — and earn

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsCert.

330 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

330———Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssoc.

204 grads— 1 yr$50k 5 yr— debt

204—$50,310—Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

53 grads$43k 1 yr— 5 yr$13k debt

53$42,672—$13,404 Business/Commerce, GeneralAssoc.

35 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

35———Computer Programming

26 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr$20k debt

26——$19,504 International Business

23 grads$55k 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

23$54,681——Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementCert.

20 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

20———Physical Sciences, GeneralAssoc.

20 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

20———Arts, Entertainment, and Media ManagementCert.

20 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

20———Accounting and Related Services

19 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

19———Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCert.

14 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

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

14 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

14———

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 North Seattle College

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

Edmonds College

Public

Lynnwood, Washington · Large suburb · 15 mi to Seattle

Students: 3,656
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 21%
Earnings: $48k

Highline College

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Students: 3,838
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Transfer: 20%
Earnings: $48k

South Puget Sound Community College

Public

Olympia, Washington · Small city · 49 mi to Seattle

Students: 3,075
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 16%
Earnings: $45k

Everett Community College

Public

Everett, Washington · Midsize city · 28 mi to Seattle

Students: 4,709
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 16%
Earnings: $45k

Whatcom Community College

Public

Bellingham, Washington · Small city · 82 mi to Seattle

Students: 2,378
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 16%
Earnings: $44k

Yakima Valley College

Public

Yakima, Washington · Small city · 110 mi to Seattle

Students: 2,770
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 17%
Earnings: $43k

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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.