A Proud History
Creating community within the college, and supporting the community outside of the college, have been goals of Tacoma Community College since day one.
TCC traces its roots to 1962 when residents of the Tacoma-Pierce County area elected to fund and build a local community college. Directors of the Tacoma School District No. 10 applied for authorization to build the College in 1961. TCC received state approval to begin construction in 1963 and opened for classes on Sept. 28, 1965.
At a Glance
- Nearly 15,000 students enroll at TCC every year.
- TCC is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
- TCC is one of 34 Washington state community and technical colleges.
- Service Area: Tacoma-Pierce County.
- TCC offers 52 state-approved professional/technical programs.
- Campus Locations: west Tacoma campus, Gig Harbor Peninsula campus, Madison School, The Evergreen State College-Tacoma, Washington Corrections Center for Women, and Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women.
- NWAACC Varsity Sports: men’s and women’s basketball and soccer; women’s volleyball; and men’s baseball.
Financial Aid
- 41%, or 2,590 TCC full-time, degree/certificate seeking students received financial aid last year.
- Average grant aid annually is $4,490.
- Total grant aid provided to Tacoma Community College students was more than $7 million last year.
- The Tacoma Community College Foundation awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships last year. This is in addition to scholarships administered by the financial aid office.
Economic Impact
- TCC employs 790 full and part-time faculty and staff.
- TCC students enjoy an attractive 17.5% annual return on their investment of time and money - for every $1 a student invests in TCC, he or she will receive a cumulative $5.02 in higher education earnings over the next 30 years.
- Past students contribute an estimated $448.9 million worth of added income per year to the regional economy after leaving TCC.
- TCC annually contributes nearly $536.1 million to labor and non-labor income in the Pierce County service area. This is the approximate equivalent of 11,500 jobs.
- Earning an associate degree from TCC will increase earnings to $34,559 per year, or 53.5% more than the average high school graduate.
- An associate degree graduate will earn $329,800 more than someone with a high school diploma or GED over his or her future career.
*Source: “The Economic Contribution of Tacoma Community College," prepared by M. Henry Robinson and Kjell A. Christope, CCbenefits, Inc.
STUDENTS
FTE (full-time equivalent) Trend
(Total credit hours divided by 15)| Term | 2007-2008 | 2008-2009 | Increase |
|---|
| Summer | 1,762 | 2,083 | 18% |
| Fall | 5,114 | 5,587 | 9% |
| Winter | 4,930 | 5,702 | 16% |
| Spring | 4,962 | 5,705 | 15% |
| | | | |
| Total average | 5,589 | 6,359 | 14% |
Total Headcount Trend| Term | 2007-2008 | 2008-2009 | Increase |
|---|
| Summer | 3,737 | 4,052 | 8% |
| Fall | 7,906 | 8,081 | 2% |
| Winter | 7,416 | 8,239 | 11% |
| Spring | 7,797 | 8,371 | 7% |
| | | | |
| Total Average* | 14,567 | 14,804 | 2% |
*Unduplicated.
MEET THE TITANS
Student Age| Under 20 years | 21% |
| 20-29 years | 39 |
| 30-39 years | 18 |
| 40 years or older | 23 |
| Not reporting | 1 |
Note: Adds to more than 100% due to multiple responses.
Ethnic Mix
TCC Students are Highly Diverse| Ethnicity | TCC Students | Pierce County |
|---|
| White | 65% | 80% |
| African American | 13 | 7 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 12 | 7 |
| Hispanic (any race) | 9 | 8 |
| Native Am./Alaska Native | 3 | 2 |
| Other and Multi-racial | 2 | 5 |
| Students of color | 39% | 26% |
Note: Adds to more than 100% due to multiple responses.
Student Goals| Academic transfer | 37% |
| Workforce training | 32 |
| Basic skills education | 11 |
| Other | 20 |
Full Time/Part Time
Over the past three years, full-time enrollment has increased and many more Tacoma Community College students attend full-time compared to all community colleges in the state.| | 2006-2007 | 2007-2008 | 2008-2009 |
|---|
| Full-time | 52% | 55% | 57% |
| Part-time | 48% | 45% | 43% |
| State full-time | 38% | 38% | 40% |
TCC students transfer to the following colleges and universities:
| UW Tacoma | 47% |
| The Evergreen State College | 14 |
| UW Seattle | 13 |
| Central Washington University | 10 |
| Washington State University | 9 |
| Western Washington University | 4 |
| Eastern Washington University | 2 |
| UW Bothell | 1 |
In academic year 2008-2009:
There were approximately 400 international students attending Tacoma Community College.
Approximately 650 students with disabilities attended Tacoma Community College.
Community Partnerships
More than 140 local business professionals participate on advisory committees at TCC for the college’s 52 professional/technical programs such as:
- Accounting
- Allied Health
- Information Technology
- Office Professional
- Human Services Professional
- Administration of Justice
- Logistics
- Paraeducator
These volunteers ensure our programs are up-to-date and relevant in today’s ever-changing workplace. Through their contributions, our students achieve 86% placement in their chosen fields.
(Data sources = Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and TCC Institutional Research Department. Pierce County = U.S. Census)
