Pierce College Puyallup | Field Guide 2023

Pierce College logo Pierce College Puyallup is part of the Pierce College District, a community college district serving more than 13,000 students annually. Founded in 1967, the college now offers 26 associate degrees, 52 professional certificates and six applied bachelor's degrees designed to prepare students for academic transfer and career success. By offering affordable and accessible programs, Pierce College Puyallup helps people of every age and background to learn and thrive in today’s economy. Whether students are 16 or 60, just out of high school or working adults, our college prepares them for the next step up in life. As a community college that serves a large number of lower-income students and students of color, our college is key to creating a stronger and more inclusive economy.

Key Facts

Highest Enrolled Programs

Nursing AAS
Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP
Science Transfer AS
Business DTA/MRP
Biology DTA/MRP

*Direct Transfer Agreement/Major Related Program

Enrollment

Headcount (all sources): 13,008
FTES (all sources): 6,896
Headcount (state-funded): 8,262
FTES (state-funded): 3,471

Students in Selected Programs

Applied bachelor's: 225
Apprentices: 15
I-BEST: 59
International: 231
Running Start: 1,994
Worker Retraining: 190

Student Profile

Type of Student

Academic/transfer: 59%
Basic skills: 6%
Workforce education: 19%
Other: 16%

Race/Ethnicity*

Students of color: 51%

American Indian/Alaska Native: 4%
Asian: 15%
Black/African American: 16%
Hispanic/Latino: 20%
Pacific Islander: 4%
White: 66%

Attendance

Full-time: 53%
Part-time: 47%

Family and Finances

Students receiving need-based financial aid: 37%
Students with dependents: 38%

Gender

Female: 64%
Male: 36%

Median age

Points of Interest

Nursing students well prepared for demanding careers

Pierce College Puyallup’s nursing program provides equitable opportunities for students to respond to the racial diversity needs of the health care sector. The program has been ranked as one of the top nursing programs in the state, ranked No. 1 by RNCareers.org, and No. 2 by RegisteredNursing.org. In 2020, the college also launched a new part-time LPN to RN program, allowing working LPNs to earn their registered nursing credentials on a part-time basis over five quarters. This is one of the few programs of its kind in the state, allowing busy, working LPNs to continue their nursing education on a part-time basis in the evenings and on weekends.

Expanding access to STEM education

Pierce College is expanding access to STEM education in Puyallup, with a special focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, to address the growing demands of these industries. Our 54,000-square-foot STEM Building broke ground in September 2022 and will feature a radically welcoming design to remove historic barriers so that students can see the scientific process, imagine themselves as scientists, and transition from observer to innovator.

Focused on equity, diversity and inclusion

Equity, diversity and inclusion is a priority in all we do and is key to our mission at Pierce College. We are committed to being an anti-racist institution by deliberately working to eliminate obstacles that have prevented the most promising and capable students from entering and thriving in college. We continue to dismantle barriers to student achievement, with a special emphasis on historically marginalized populations. We work hard to ensure every student at Pierce College feels valued, respected and inspired to achieve their goals.

Data is from the 2021-22 academic year. Reflects headcount unless otherwise noted. Data is for Pierce College District.

*Students of color percent based on unduplicated headcount. Students may be counted in more than one race, so race/ethnicity percentages may not total 100%. Percentages calculated on reported value.