Public · Community college
South Puget Sound Community College
Olympia, Washington · Small city
- 16%
- Transfer rate
- $9,132
- Avg net price
- 44%
- Grad / completion
- $45,039
- Median earnings
South Puget Sound Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Olympia, Washington (small city setting), enrolling 3,075 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. The first recorded Europeans came to Olympia in 1792. Peter Puget and a crew from the British Vancouver Expedition are said to have explored the site, but neither recorded any encounters with the resident Indigenous population. Despite its relatively small population, Olympia is internationally known for its local music scene, particularly in the alternative rock and punk genres. It is most notable for its role in incubating the riot grrrl and grunge movements of the 1990s. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 49 miles to Seattle, WA
- To the ocean
- 2 miles
- Nearest airport
- 4 miles to Olympia (OLM)
How South Puget Sound Community College compares
Higher than 30% · #23 of 58 in Washington
Higher than 83% · #19 of 51 in Washington
Cheaper than 74% · #18 cheapest of 58 in Washington
Lower than 36%
Lower than 44%
Larger than 86%
Percentiles compare South Puget Sound 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
- Women1,83960%
- Men1,23640%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White45%
- Black5.0%
- Hispanic17%
- Asian6.9%
- Other or multiracial27%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,075
- Student–faculty ratio
- 17 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 22%
- First-generation students
- 43%
- Students over 25
- 32%
- Median family income
- $18,874
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $83,439
- Endowment
- $14,921,368
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 801 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Washington96%
- Other U.S. states3.7%
Most first-years stay in state — South Puget Sound 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
- $5,252
- Out-of-state tuition
- $5,813
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $900
- Total cost of attendance
- $17,888
- Average net price
- $9,132
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
- 44%
- First-year retention
- —
- Transferred to another college
- 16%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $37,270
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,039
- Median debt at graduation
- $11,000
- Students with federal loans
- 5%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 37%
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
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NWAC
- Varsity athletes
- 94 (41 men · 53 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
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.3 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 5
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (4,871 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: 38% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,555. 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 584 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)
- $45,039
- Typical debt at graduation
- $11,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 24%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 45%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.4 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 $7,497 (18%) 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
- 32°F
- Annual rain
- 50.6″
- Annual snow
- 3.9″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Olympia AP, WA US station (3.7 mi from campus).
What South Puget Sound 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 South Puget Sound Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare South Puget Sound Community College side by side →
Walla Walla Community College
Walla Walla, Washington · Small city · 116 mi to Spokane
- Students
- 2,418
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $44k
Seattle Central College
Seattle, Washington · Large city · 1 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 3,953
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 24%
- Earnings
- $43k
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
Clover Park Technical College
Lakewood, Washington · Small city · 31 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 2,636
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $42k
Columbia Basin College
Pasco, Washington · Large suburb · 126 mi to Spokane
- Students
- 4,640
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $47k
Colleges near South Puget Sound Community College
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA · Public · Bachelor's · 2,160 students
Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,158 students
Pierce College District
Lakewood, WA · Public · Associate · 5,313 students
Centralia College
Centralia, WA · Public · Associate · 1,552 students
Centralia Beauty College
Centralia, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 90 students
Clover Park Technical College
Lakewood, WA · Public · Certificate · 2,636 students
Tacoma Community College
Tacoma, WA · Public · Associate · 4,668 students
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,401 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.