Bellingham Technical College
Public Community College in Bellingham, WA. Six-year graduation rate 42%. Median 10-year earnings $49,748.
The median ten-year earnings figure of $49,748 sits near the national middle rather than at either extreme. 42% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential. Graduates carry a median of $17,459 in debt — in line with the national norm.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Academics
42% graduate within six years — average, but that average still hides a large group who do not. A 17% transfer-out rate accounts for part of that gap: those students left for another institution rather than dropping out, and the graduation rate above counts them as non-completers here. At 24:1, instructor access is thin — worth probing on a campus visit. As a public four-year university, the relevant comparison is other four-year schools rather than the national average across all institutions. At 1,850 undergraduates, expect a small, closely-held student body.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 1,523 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
At $8,294 a year on average after grant aid, cost is low here relative to most undergraduate institutions. Aid is steeply need-based: families in the $0–30k band pay $4,587 while those at $110k+ pay $15,444. About 59% get grants averaging $9,364, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price. Federal borrowing is uncommon here at 10% of students.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 258 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $4,587 |
| $30–48k | $6,826 |
| $48–75k | $6,510 |
| $75–110k | $6,412 |
| $110k+ | $15,444 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 146 of these 1,523 students, totalling $933,926 — an average of $6,397 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Whatcom County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)