Public · Community college
South Seattle College
Seattle, Washington · Large city
- 15%
- Transfer rate
- $6,004
- Avg net price
- 31%
- Grad / completion
- $44,486
- Median earnings
South Seattle College is a public certificate-granting institution in Seattle, Washington (large city setting), enrolling 1,616 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
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
- 4 miles to Seattle, WA
- To the ocean
- 1 mile
- Nearest airport
- 3 miles to King County International Airport - Boeing Field (BFI)
How South Seattle College compares
Higher than 15% · #49 of 58 in Washington
Higher than 82% · #20 of 51 in Washington
Cheaper than 87% · #5 cheapest of 58 in Washington
Lower than 3%
Larger than 79%
Percentiles compare South 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
- Women75447%
- Men86253%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White21%
- Black18%
- Hispanic17%
- Asian16%
- Other or multiracial28%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,616
- Student–faculty ratio
- 33 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 10%
- First-generation students
- 48%
- Students over 25
- 55%
- Median family income
- $17,191
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $95,643
- Endowment
- $31,286,430
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 443 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Washington97%
- Other U.S. states2.7%
Most first-years stay in state — South 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
- $15,385
- Average net price
- $6,004
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
- 31%
- First-year retention
- —
- Transferred to another college
- 15%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $43,070
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $44,486
- Median debt at graduation
- —
- Students with federal loans
- 4%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
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%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 14
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (5,210 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: 15% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $802. 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 367 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)
- $44,486
- Typical debt at graduation
- —
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- —
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 55%
The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.
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 $4,553 (11%) 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
- 36°F
- Annual rain
- 36.5″
- Annual snow
- 6.3″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Seattle Boeing Fld, WA US station (2.7 mi from campus).
What South Seattle 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 Seattle College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare South Seattle College side by side →
Skagit Valley College
Mount Vernon, Washington · Small city · 57 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 2,477
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $44k
Bellingham Technical College
Bellingham, Washington · Small city · 81 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 1,733
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $50k
Bates Technical College
Tacoma, Washington · Midsize city · 25 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 1,813
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $50k
Lower Columbia College
Longview, Washington · Small city · 45 mi to Portland
- Students
- 1,932
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $41k
Grays Harbor College
Aberdeen, Washington · Fringe rural · 82 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 1,010
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $41k
Renton Technical College
Renton, Washington · Midsize city · 11 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 1,783
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $50k
Colleges near South Seattle College
Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine
Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Seattle University
Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 4,062 students
The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology
Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Antioch University-Seattle
Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 74 students
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Seattle
Seattle, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 154 students
City University of Seattle
Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,137 students
Seattle Central College
Seattle, WA · Public · Associate · 3,953 students
Academy of Interactive Entertainment
Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 47 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.