Pierce College Puyallup | Field Guide 2026
Julie A. White, PhD
Maria del Rosario “Chio” Flores, PhD
- Lisa Boyd, chair
- Lauren Adler, vice chair
- Clemencia Castro-Woolery
- Bryce McKibben
1971
Pierce County
2, 25, 27, 31
Pierce College Puyallup is part of the Pierce College District, a community college district serving nearly 14,000 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
- Associate in Arts - DTA
- Nursing ADN & Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP
- Business DTA/MRP
- Associate in Science - DTA
- Biology DTA/MRP
- Headcount (all sources): 13,749
- FTES (all sources): 7,729
- Headcount (state-funded): 8,811
- FTES (state-funded): 4,024
- Bachelor's: 194
- I-BEST: 33
- International: 303
- Running Start: 2,739
- Worker Retraining: 179
Student Profile
- Academic/transfer: 64%
- Basic skills: 6%
- Workforce education: 18%
- Other: 11%
Students of color: 51%
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 4%
- Asian: 15%
- Black/African American: 17%
- Hispanic/Latino: 20%
- Pacific Islander: 4%
- White: 56%
- Full-time: 59%
- Part-time: 41%
- Students receiving need-based financial aid: 43%
- Students with dependents: 33%
- Female: 7,759
- Male: 4,695
- X: 83
- Not reported: 1,212
24
Points of Interest
The Pierce College District is proudly committed to supporting students' well-being by offering a range of resources designed to meet their everyday needs. These include on-campus food and hygiene pantries run by the Offices of Student Life, weekly access to the Nourish Mobile Food Bank during Fort Steilacoom campus visits, and 24/7 climate-controlled food lockers at our Puyallup campus, through our partnership with GoodRoots Northwest. We continue to explore and expand support options to ensure every student has the foundation for academic and career success.
Pierce College now offers TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) at both the Fort Steilacoom and Puyallup campuses, including dedicated TRIO SSS programs for students with disabilities. These federally funded programs provide academic, personal, and financial support to first-generation, low-income, and/or disabled students. Building on Fort Steilacoom’s 25-year TRIO legacy, both campuses offer tutoring, counseling, financial aid guidance, and community workshops to increase retention and graduation rates, with a key focus on helping students graduate and transfer.
Pierce College is expanding access to STEM education in Puyallup to address the growing demands of these industries. The 54,000-square-foot Johnson Science Building opened in Sept. 2024 and features 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.
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.
