Facts at a Glance

About Us

students work in the computer lab.

About BC

  • Public
  • Open-access
  • Community-based
Students read and study outside on campus.

Academic Calendar

  • Quarterly (summer, fall, winter, spring)
  • Academic year runs July through June
Students work in the Interior Design classrooms.

Service District

  • Bellevue, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Skykomish and Snoqualmie Valley school districts
A soon-to-be graduate smiles during the graduation ceremony.

Accreditation

Two young women smile in the cafe while working on computers.

Award Levels

  • Bachelor’s degrees
  • Associate degrees
  • Certifications
  • High school completions
A graduatein cap and gown proudly poses with his family.

Founding Fact

  • Bellevue College was founded in January 1966 under the name Bellevue Community College.

Students

Students work together on a lab project.

Eligibility

  • Any applicant who has graduated from high school, or
  • Is 16 or 17 years old with proof of GED completion, or
  • Is 18 years of age or older
Students work on keyboards and computers in the Music Lab.

2022-23 Enrollment

  • Undergraduate and continuing education students – 19,134  
  • Undergraduate students – 18,204  
  • Fall 2021 undergraduate students – 12,667
A professor gives hands-on instruction in a science lab.

Demographics

  • The average age of BC credit students is 27.5; the median age is 22
  • 51% are full-time students, taking 12 or more credits
Classmates discuss the image of a skull in the Radiology lab.

International Enrollment

  • Almost 1,200 International students (all visa types) enrolled in credit classes 
  • Enrollment from 71 countries outside of the U.S. 
A professor demonstrates equipment in the DNA lab.

Enrollment By Country (Top Ten)

  1. China
  2. Congo (Kinshasa)
  3. South Korea
  4. Taiwan
  5. Vietnam
  1. Japan
  2. Kyrgyzstan
  3. Indonesia
  4. Brazil
  5. Hong Kong
Students collaborate in the science lab.

Race/Ethnicity

American Indian or Alaskan Native<1%
Asian 26%
Black or African American4%
Latina, Latino, Latinx, or Hispanic11%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander <1%
White 38%
Two or more races9%
Undisclosed12%

Programs Of Study

A professor demonstrates ultrasound imaging on a patient.

Degree/ Certificate Programs

  • 15 Bachelor’s degrees
  • 9 Transfer associate degrees 
  • 2 Non-transfer associate degrees
  • 71 Certifications 
Four proud graduates pose together in caps and gowns.

Academic Awards 2022-23

  • 313 Bachelor’s degrees 
  • 314 Professional/ technical associate degrees 
  • 1,055 Academic/ transfer associate degrees 
  • 233 Certifications 
  • 120 High School Completions 
Nursing students discuss with their professor in the Nursing Lab.

Highest-Enrolled Programs

  • Associate of Arts & Sciences (AAS) Direct Transfer Agreement 
  • Associate of Arts (AA) in Business Direct Transfer Agreement Major Related Program 
  • Associate of Arts (AA) in General Studies
  • Associate in Science – Transfer (AS-T) Track 1
  • Associate in Science – Transfer (AS-T) Track 2
Students examine results in the chemistry lab.

Bachelor’s Degrees

  • Business
  • Health Sciences
  • STEM
  • Technology and Data
  • Visual and Performing Arts
Students collaborate on a math problem.

Specialized Learning

  • Occupational & Life Skills (OLS) is an accredited associate degree program for adults with learning disabilities.
  • BC offers supportive learning communities that provide mentoring, advocacy, college guidance, preparation courses, and more. These cohort programs include Neurodiversity Navigators, Disabled Students Navigating STEM, Multicultural Services, Umoja, Puente, and TRiO.
Students collaborate and discuss in a computer lab.

Return on Investment (ROI)

  • No degree-granting college in Washington state has a better 10-year ROI than BC.
  • BC ties for 8th in the nation in 10-year ROI among public colleges offering 4-year degrees.
  • Median hourly wage of the Class of 2021 (prof/tech graduates with an associate degree): $33.80 per hour, which was the second highest in Washington state and 40% more than the statewide average.

Did You Know…

A professor demonstrates a chemical equation in the science classroom.

Student Success 

  • 47% of students who took their first college-level class at BC in Fall 2019 graduated or transferred to a four-year institution within 3 years. 
Students discuss a design project.

Average Class Size

  • The average size of a class at BC is smaller than 21 students. 
A student displays a drawing at her easel.

High School Programs

  • More than 3,000 students from local schools last year are in the Running Start program for high school students.
  • Over 1,400 students earned college credit from their high school classes through the College in the High School program.