Promoting student achievement and success
Producing more STEM degrees
A March 2013 Washington Roundtable report
found an acute shortage of qualified workers
in high-demand STEM (science, technology,
engineering and math) and health care fields.1
Employers are desperate to find STEM workers,
while job-seekers without STEM training struggle
to find work. Our colleges are uniquely positioned
to fill this skill gap by preparing students for direct
entry into STEM jobs or for continuing studies at
four-year institutions.
Centers of Excellence
Located on our campuses, 10 Centers of Excellence
build and sustain Washington’s competitive
advantage through
statewide leadership.
Each center focuses on a
targeted industry that drives Centers of Excellence
located throughout
the state’s economy and is
Washington state
built upon a reputation for
fast, flexible, quality education and training programs.
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Employer job training
Community and technical colleges provide
customized, affordable training programs for
businesses across the state. Employees can learn at
colleges or at a work site, and costs are offset by
tax breaks or matching funds.
Washington MESA
Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement
serves students who are traditionally
underrepresented in STEM fields, including African
Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic/Latinos,
Pacific Islanders and women. Most students are
the first in their families to attend college, are
low-income and have not been exposed to STEM
curricula and career choices. At MESA colleges,
students were more likely to persist, transfer to
a university and earn a STEM-related bachelor’s
degree than their peers pursuing STEM studies at
those colleges.2
4
More bachelor’s degrees for Washington
About 20,000 community and technical college
students transfer to state four-year public
institutions each year. Nearly 40 percent of public
bachelor’s degree holders in all fields transferred
from a
community or
technical college
to a four-year
Percent of public baccalaureate
university.3
graduates in Washington start at
Transfer students a community or technical college
graduate from
universities in all subjects and comprise 47 percent
of all business majors, 46 percent of all health
fields and 35 percent of all STEM majors (science,
technology, engineering and math).4 Bachelor’s
degree programs also are available on nearly every
college campus, through University Centers or
other campus-based partnerships with four-year
universities. In addition, 15 colleges currently offer
applied baccalaureate degrees which build on
two-year programs in high-demand areas. Colleges
awarded 286 applied baccalaureate degrees in
2014-15, and that number continues to grow.
40%
Achieving the Dream
Nineteen community and technical colleges
participate in “Achieving the Dream,” a national
initiative to use evidence-based reforms to help
low-income students succeed.
Professional and technical credentials
Colleges train students for in-demand jobs in
communities and growth industries around
the state. Colleges engage employers, business
associations and labor unions to develop training
programs for the state’s career pathway system.
Employers are partners, not simply customers, of
our system.
5
Increasing access to post-secondary education
6
Transferring without lost credits
Integrated Digital English Acceleration
Service to veterans
Free or reduced-price textbooks
Direct Transfer Agreements offer a smooth transfer
path for associate degree holders into public and
private four-year schools. For students who want
to transfer after only one year, the “Washington
45” agreement spells out a list of commonly
numbered courses offered by colleges that satisfy
one year’s worth (45 credits) of general education
requirements at public and many independent
universities in Washington.
Community and technical colleges are a perfect fit
for veterans transitioning to civilian life and privatesector jobs. All 34 colleges award credit for military
training, coursework and occupational specialty.
Opportunity Grants
Opportunity Grants help low-income adults train
for high-wage careers. The
grant covers a year’s worth
of tuition and helps pay for
books, supplies and other
Students received job
expenses, such as child
training with the help of
care and transportation.
Opportunity Grants in
In 2014-15 academic year,
2014-15
4,509 students received job
training with the help of Opportunity Grants.
4,509
Basic Education for Adults
Basic Education for Adults programs teach
foundational skills — reading, writing, math,
technology and English language — so adults can
move through college and into high-demand jobs.
Funded with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, I-DEA is transforming instruction for
adult English language learners who experience
the most difficulty learning English. Teams of
college instructors and community-based partners
use I-BEST practices to deliver 33 week-long
instructional modules. Instruction is half online, half
face-to-face.
Students save thousands by accessing free or lowcost materials through the system’s online Open
Course Library (OCL)
and other openly-licensed
classroom resources. While
college textbooks frequently
High-enrollment
cost $200 apiece, OCL
courses in the Open
materials cost no more than
Course Library
$30 per course. The library
includes 81 high-enrollment courses.
81
High School 21+
Adults who are at least 21-years-old and lack a high
school diploma have a new way to get a second
chance with “High School 21+,” a competency-based
high school diploma offered at community and
technical colleges. Advisors review transcripts and
knowledge gained from life experience, and work
with each student to craft an educational plan to fill
gaps. This approach recognizes life competency in
addition to classroom time and tests, and opens one
more door to federal financial aid.
Integrated Basic Education and Skills
Training (I-BEST)
I-BEST uses a team-teaching approach to combine
college-readiness classes with regular, credit-bearing
academic or job training classes. This nationallyrecognized teaching approach allows students to
work on college-level studies right away, clearing
multiple levels with one leap.
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Building on the system’s strength and success
Earning and using associate degrees
In 2014-15, colleges awarded students 26,044
associate degrees. These degrees lead directly to jobs
or satisfy the first two years of a bachelor’s program
at a fraction of the
cost. The community
and technical college
system works with
Associate degrees
Washington’s fourawarded in 2014-15
year universities to
make transferring a seamless process. Washington
transfer students graduate with a bachelor’s degree
with a similar number of total credits as those who
start at four-year universities as freshmen.5 Students
earn their degrees efficiently, without taking many
unnecessary classes.
26,044
High school/college alignment
Under a landmark agreement reached by twoyear and four-year colleges, 11th graders scoring
at the college-ready level on the Smarter Balanced
Assessment automatically place into college-level
math and English classes when they enroll in
college, without having to take a placement test
like ACCUPLACER. Students who score lower on
the assessment will have a second chance to catch
up in 12th grade with “Bridge to College” classes.
These courses, developed by high school and college
faculty with assistance from curriculum professionals,
address agreed upon essential college and career
readiness standards. The course also develops
students’ essential habits so they’re ready to be
successful in college.
ctcLink
ctcLink is a single, centralized system of online tools
for student services and administrative functions. In
the next several years, ctcLink will arrive on every
campus, providing online tools for everything from
admissions to graduation. Every student will have a
single ctcLink student ID and have access to a degree
audit tool also available to their advisors. The first
three colleges came online in 2015.
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Worker retraining program
Laid-off or dislocated workers turn to Washington’s
community and
technical colleges
to update their job
skills and return
to the workforce.
Students in college job
retraining programs
Colleges provided
(2014-15)
job retraining for
10,987 workers in 2014-15.
10,987
Tuition
Community and technical colleges provide flexible,
affordable higher education. At $3,846 per year for
a full-time student, tuition remains an excellent deal.
High school juniors and seniors can get a jump start
on college with
the Running Start
program. In 201415, 21,802 high
Full-time resident tuition
school students
for an academic year
took classes at
community and technical colleges through Running
Start, earning both high school and college credit.
The program can trim thousands off the cost of a
bachelor’s degree.
$3,846
1. Washington Roundtable. (2013). Great Jobs Within Our Reach: Solving
the Problem of Washington State’s Growing Skills Gap. Seattle.
2. Washington MESA. (2014). Community College Program Overview,
Data & Highlights. Seattle.
3, 4. State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. (2013). The
Role of Transfer in the Attainment of Baccalaureate Degrees at
Washington’s Public Bachelor’s Degree Institutions, Class of 2011.
Olympia.
5. Jenkins, D., & Fink, J. (2015). What we know about transfer. New York,
NY: Columbia University, Teachers College, Community College
Research Center.
6. Office of Financial Management. (2014-15). Budget Driver Report.
Olympia.
Note: The calculation for students receiving need-based financial aid has
been revised to include only those students who were eligible to
receive aid rather than all students.
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College system key facts
Enrollment:
Headcount (all sources)
Headcount (state-funded)
FTES (all sources)
FTES (state-funded)
50+50+A
56+44+A 36+36+28A
34+44+148A
385,872
275,695
181,451
138,279
49%
part-time
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Students’
Average Age
System
Attendance
(2014-15)
51%
full-time
44%
male
Students’
Gender
Ethnicity:
White/Caucasian62%
Hispanic16%
Asian/Pacific Islander
13%
African American
8%
Native American
3%
Other, Multiracial
2%
May not add up to 100% because students
may be counted in more than one race.
28%
Students
with children
Family and
Finances
56%
female
43%
Students
who work
42%
Students receiving need-based
financial aid in eligible programs
(2014-15)
8%
pre-college
34%
workforce
education
14%
basic
skills
Students in Selected Programs
(headcount 2014-15):
Running Start
21,802
International18,343
Worker Retraining
10,987
Apprenticeship9,290
Corrections9,194
I-BEST3,937
Applied Bachelor’s Degree 1,398
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Enrollment by
Course Intent
44% academic/transfer
59%
59 percent of students enrolled
in Washington’s public higher
education system are enrolled in
community and technical colleges
(includes state-supported and
Running Start students).6