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

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
  • Certain programs additionally accredited by discipline-specific organizations 
Two young women smile in the cafe while working on computers.

Award Levels

  • Certifications
  • Associate degrees
  • Bachelor’s degrees
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.

2021-22 Enrollment

  • All credit and continuing ed students – 19,749  
  • Students enrolled for credit – 18,517  
  • Fall 2021 Students Enrolled for Credit – 12,667  
A professor gives hands-on instruction in a science lab.

Demographics

  • The average age of BC credit students is 22.8; the median age is 20.0
  • 44% are full-time students, taking 15 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

  • 14 Bachelor’s Degrees
  • 9 Transfer Associate Degrees 
  • 2 Non-Transfer Associate Degrees 
  • 64 Certifications 
Four proud graduates pose together in caps and gowns.

Academic Awards 2021-22

  • 350 Bachelor’ Degrees 
  • 332 Professional Technical Associate Degrees 
  • 1,481 Academic Associate Degrees 
  • 274 Certifications 
  • 155 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 
  • High School Completion 
  • Associate of Arts & Sciences for Transfer (AAS-T) in Nursing 
  • Associate of Arts (AA) in General Studies 
  • Associate of Science (AS) Science Transfer 
Students examine results in the chemistry lab.

Bachelor’s Degrees

  • Bachelor of Applied Art in Interior Design
  • Bachelor of Applied Science
  • Bachelor of Science
Students collaborate on a math problem.

Specialized Learning

  • Occupational & Life Skills (OLS) is an accredited associate degree program for adults with learning disabilities.
  • The Neurodiversity Navigators Program serves BC students who identify as neurodivergent, including those who identify as autistic.
Students collaborate and discuss in a computer lab.

# 1 Degree

  • Transfer to 4-year institutions is the #1 degree for BC students.

Did You Know…

A professor demonstrates a chemical equation in the science classroom.

Persistence 

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

Running Start

  • More than 3,000 students from local schools last year are in the Running Start program for high school students.