South Puget Sound Community College | Field Guide 2022

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Recognized as a top 10 best community college in the U.S. by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, SPSCC amplifies student success by offering transfer options to four-year institutions, professional and technical programs, and short-term degree and certificate programs so students can advance their career or education goals.

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Key Facts

Highest Enrolled Programs

Associate in Arts–Direct Transfer Agreement
Associate in Science
High School+
Basic Skills
Cybersecurity and Network Administration

Enrollment

Headcount (all sources): 8,318
FTES (all sources): 4,261
Headcount (state-funded): 5,860
FTES (state-funded): 2,920

Students in Selected Programs

I-BEST: 251
International: 121
Running Start: 1,477
Worker Retraining: 183

Student Profile

Type of Student

Academic/transfer: 50%
Basic skills: 9%
Other: 14%
Workforce education: 26%

Race/Ethnicity*

American Indian/Alaska Native: 6%
Asian: 12%
Black/African American: 8%
Hispanic/Latino: 15%
Pacific Islander: 3%
White: 75%

Attendance

Full-time: 51%
Part-time: 49%

Family and Finances

Students receiving need-based financial aid: 29%
Students with dependents: 61%

Gender

Female: 62%
Male: 38%

Median age

Points of Interest

Supporting workforce education

The Bruno and Evelyne Betti Foundation gifted South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) $2.5 million, allowing the college to expand and support allied health and professional-technical degree programs. The Betti gift directed $1 million to remodel and expand health education programs at SPSCC’s Dr. Angela Bowen Center for Health Education and $1.5 million as an Endowed Scholarship supporting professional-technical students at SPSCC. Allied health and professional-technical degrees help prepare students for a new career, upgrade their current skills, or get into a trades job.

Recognized by Aspen Institute

For the fourth consecutive time, SPSCC had been recognized as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. SPSCC is continuously working to build systems that support student access and success while tackling systemic barriers so students can complete their education. The A. Barbara Clarkson Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Center is committed to supporting the college’s mission to advance equity and embrace diversity through programs such as Black Scholars and IGNITE that offer mentorship, community and support services to students who are low income, students of color, students with a disability and students whose parents did not go to college.

Serving rural areas

In addition to SPSCC’s Olympia and Lacey campuses, the college also offers classes at Yelm High School (YHS). SPSCC is proud to provide students in rural areas such as Yelm, Rainier, McKenna, and Roy the opportunity to attend college closer to home. SPSCC in Yelm offers:

Essential skills classes taught in the evenings by SPSCC faculty
Noncredit continuing education classes taught by area residents
College-level classes for YHS students taught during the school day by YHS teachers
The High School+ program that allows students over 18 to earn a high school diploma

Data is from the 2020-21 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.