Bellevue College vs Whatcom Community College

Bellevue College and Whatcom Community College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Washington state, offer distinct educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. Bellevue College, situated in the vibrant city of Bellevue, boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a larger and more diverse student body. Its strengths lie in the fields of business, engineering, and nursing, with a focus on preparing students for immediate entry into the workforce. In contrast, Whatcom Community College, nestled in the picturesque town of Bellingham, offers a more intimate learning environment with a lower acceptance rate. It excels in liberal arts, sciences, and healthcare, emphasizing critical thinking and well-rounded academic development. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic goals, preferred campus setting, and desired post-graduation outcomes.

	Bellevue College	Whatcom Community College
Overview
Location	Bellevue, Washington	Bellingham, Washington
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Quarter	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees	$66
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $20,047 Out of state: $25,584	In state: $20,393 Out of state: $25,997
Average net price	$9,801	$9,450
Tuition	In state: $3,826 Out of state: $9,363	In state: $4,523 Out of state: $10,127
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	35.0% Average amount $6,868	59.0% Average amount $5,510
Students receiving federal student loan	4.0% Average amount $5,486	7.0% Average amount $5,035
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	1.0% Average amount $12,750

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,546 Men 43.3% Women 56.7%	3,850 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	3.2%	4.6%
International students	5.6%	6.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	400	230
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Washington California Hawaii Arizona Texas	Washington Alaska Arizona California Colorado

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Business Health Professions Computer and Information Science Visual & Performing Arts	Liberal Arts Computer and Information Science Health Professions Business Education
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	33.4%	34.0%
Dropout rate	33.6%	36.3%
Transferred out	16.6%	20.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $69,807 Year 2: $65,974 Year 3: $72,329 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $70,881 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $64,546 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $31,603 Year 2: $32,213 Year 3: $37,826 Computer Programming (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: N/A Data Processing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,976 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,141 Year 3: N/A Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,563 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,563 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $65,493 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $55,012 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $38,853 Year 2: $40,209 Year 3: $42,479 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $27,494 Year 3: $36,042 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $25,489 Year 2: $24,649 Year 3: $27,358 Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: $18,428

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