Bellingham Technical College | Field Guide 2026
Dr. James Lemerond
- Ann McQuade, chair
- Robert DeCoteau, vice chair
- Dr. Bradley Smith
- Richard Kaiser
- Alex Hildreth
1957
Whatcom County
40, 42
Bellingham Technical College (BTC) has trained students for in-demand, high-paying careers for more than 65 years. We
provide hands-on, rigorous instruction in programs such as advanced manufacturing,
engineering, nursing and accounting. For example, BTC’s Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences
program offers students the unique opportunity to run two fully operational fish hatcheries,
and the program works with tribal partners and state agencies to raise and release
Chinook salmon in order to provide a larger food supply for the region’s endangered
Southern Resident Killer Whale population.
Each year, more than 4,400 students of all ages and backgrounds turn to BTC for education
and training. Whether students are 16 or 60, just out of high school or working adults,
our college prepares them to forge their own path toward a better future. As a technical
college that serves a large number of lower-income students and students who are the
first in their families to attend college, BTC is key to creating social and economic
mobility for people throughout our region.
Key Facts
- Nursing
- Welding
- Computer Networking
- Electrician
- Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences
- Headcount (all sources): 4,440
- FTES (all sources): 1,936
- Headcount (state-funded): 2,982
- FTES (state-funded): 1,667
- Apprentices: 96
- Bachelor's: 56
- I-BEST: 19
- International: 3
- Running Start: 115
- Worker Retraining: 121
Student Profile
- Academic/transfer: 3%
- Basic skills: 16%
- Workforce education: 57%
- Other: 24%
Students of color: 26%
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 5%
- Asian: 6%
- Black/African American: 3%
- Hispanic/Latino: 14%
- Pacific Islander: 1%
- White: 58%
- Full-time: 41%
- Part-time: 59%
- Students receiving need-based financial aid: 40%
- Students with dependents: 30%
- Female: 2,241
- Male: 1,792
- X: 29
- Not reported: 378
25
Points of Interest
The heart of BTC’s mission is educating students for today’s jobs and tomorrow’s opportunities. Our programs work closely with advisory boards to ensure we train students to meet the evolving needs of industry and our economy. BTC provides opportunities for current workers to upskill and advance their careers, including part-time Nursing options, an online bachelor of applied science in Operations Management, a suite of customized corporate training options, and competency-based education.
To strengthen BTC’s high school enrollment pipeline and build access and awareness, we’ve partnered with several local school districts for our Direct Admission program, offering personalized admissions guarantees to seniors and exclusive events to help them get started. The goal is to make sure high school students feel welcomed at college and understand all of the paths available to them after high school so they can make the decisions that are right for them. Since launching, the proportion of our students from these schools has increased.
BTC’s Machining program is expanding access to working adults and parents with a new competency-based education model that launched in fall 2025. Lectures and theory are taught using on-demand online lessons that can be completed on the student’s schedule from their location of choice. The Machining program lab is open for students to practice and demonstrate mastery of skills through hands-on work on a variety of industry equipment, with supervision and guidance from instructors. Lab hours provide a varied schedule to maximize student access, including time in the evenings, to allow more practice time for students who may have work or family obligations during the day. Fall quarter saw several working students and parents who said they would not have been able to attend without the new flexible model.
Data is from the 2024-25 academic year. Reflects headcount unless otherwise noted. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.
*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.
**Excluding Running Start.
