
South Seattle College | Field Guide 2021
Founded in 1969, South Seattle College is located on an 87-acre hilltop campus in
West Seattle with panoramic views of the city skyline and surrounding mountains. South
serves students with diverse needs to meet their educational and career goals, whether
they are just starting their higher education, looking to advance their careers, or
trying a new direction. We also offer apprenticeship training at our Georgetown campus.
With our affordable and accessible programs, South Seattle College helps people of
every age and background thrive in today’s economy.
Key Facts
Highest Enrolled Programs
- College transfer programs
- Apprenticeship programs
- Basic and Transitional Studies programs
- Aviation Maintenance Technology
- Welding Fabrication Technology
- Automotive Technology
Enrollment
- Headcount (all sources): 12,699
- FTES (all sources): 4,806
- Headcount (state-funded): 9,449
- FTES (state-funded): 3,763
Students in Selected Programs
- Applied bachelor's: 126
- Apprentices: 3,567
- I-BEST: 136
- International: 588
- Running Start: 554
- Worker Retraining: 424
Student Profile
Type of Student
- Academic/transfer: 25%
- Basic skills: 4%
- Other: 6%
- Workforce education: 65%
Race/Ethnicity*
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 3%
- Asian: 18%
- Black/African American: 15%
- Hispanic/Latino: 10%
- Pacific Islander: 2%
- Other race: 8%
- White: 54%
Attendance
- Full-time: 30%
- Part-time: 70%
Family and Finances
- Students receiving need-based financial aid: 25%
- Students who work: 66%
- Students with children: 31%
Gender
- Female: 33%
- Male: 67%
Median age
28
Points of Interest
Programs support regional workforce needs
South Seattle College (SSC) offers a wide range of programs that prepare students for careers or continued education at a university. Pre-college and ESL programs give students a jumpstart into college and the workforce, while professional-technical programs train students for our region’s most in-demand careers. These include careers in aviation, automotive, diesel maintenance, welding, nursing, landscape horticulture, culinary arts and wine studies. SSC also trains thousands of apprentices each year in over 40 different trades.
Reimagining college-level math requirements
As part of the college’s Guided Pathways transformation, SSC’s math faculty are redesigning math courses under a co-requisite model, which means students can take college-level classes while receiving supplemental instruction, instead of having to take pre-college courses first. This approach shortens the length of time the college requires of a student to reach college-level math — helping them stay motivated and on track toward graduation. The results are striking: In spring quarter 2020, 21 of 24 students who needed extra support in math completed their math requirements in one quarter. Under the previous model, only eight of the same 24 would have finished over the course of three quarters.
Guided Pathways success highlighted in national report
The Center for Community College Student Engagement released their Building Momentum: Using Guided Pathways to Redesign the Student Experience report in November 2020, presenting the first national baseline data on student and faculty perceptions of guided pathways practices. South Seattle College is highlighted in the report for having 70% of students responding that someone had talked with them about how long it would take to achieve their goals (an important step in the guided pathways experience). The national average is 48%.
Data is from the 2019-20 academic year. Reflects headcount unless otherwise noted.
*May not add up to 100% because students may be counted in more than one race. Percentages calculated on reported value.
Chancellor
Dr. Shouan Pan
President
Dr. Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap
Trustees
- Steven Hill, chair
- Teresita Batayola
- Louise Chernin
- Rosa Peralta
- Robert Williams
Year Founded
1970
Service Area
West and South Seattle, King County
Legislative Districts
11, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 43, 46
Page Manager:
krose@sbctc.edu
Last Modified: 2/17/23, 12:07 PM