Highline College
Des Moines, Washington · Also known as Highline · Website
$47,869
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$47,869
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Highline College is a public 4-year college in Des Moines, Washington with 3,838 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $9,879 a year (tuition and fees $4,772 in-state, $5,332 out-of-state). 35% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $47,869 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $9,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$9,879
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$4,772
Out-of-state $5,332
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
35%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$9,500
About $101 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$47,869
Rank 1,668 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $9,879
- Tuition in-state
- $4,772
- Tuition out-of-state
- $5,332
- Cost of attendance
- $18,812
- Students with a need-based grant
- 19%
- Students with federal loans
- 1.9%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $8,984
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $9,689
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $11,209
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $11,455
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $12,378
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $3,846 in 2015-16 to $4,772 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 3,838
- Part-time students
- 48%
- Women
- 65%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 35%
- Highest degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Programs
- 69
- Other
- Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,668 of 5,094 US colleges and 44 of 87 in Washington (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | WA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $9,879 | $14,091 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $4,772 | $8,256 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 83% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 35% | 50% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | - | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $9,500 | $13,653 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $42,323 | $42,696 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $47,869 | $47,869 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 35% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 66% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
69 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 409 | $6,615 | $31,291 | $54,874 | $44,125 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsCertificate | Certificate | 85 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,631 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 71 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,272 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 71 | $12,950 | $84,619 | $98,992 | $80,813 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 46 | Withheld | $50,468 | $66,918 | $42,269 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 46 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Physical Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 33 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $85,063 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $35,447 |
| Hospitality Administration/ManagementAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,099 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsAssociate's | Associate's | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,656 |
| Hospitality Administration/ManagementCertificate | Certificate | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,660 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $68,559 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,734 |
| Design and Applied ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,127 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,790 |
| International BusinessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $73,201 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,589 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,971 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,382 |
| Legal Support ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,669 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Des Moines and Washington on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Washington
- Homes: Homes for sale in Washington
Questions and answers
How much does Highline College cost?
$9,879 a year is the average net price at Highline College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $4,772 for in-state students and $5,332 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $18,812. Families earning under $30,000 pay $8,984 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Highline College?
Highline College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Highline College graduates earn?
$47,869 a year is the median pay of former Highline College students who work, 10 years after they started ($42,323 after 6 years). That ranks 1,668 of 5,094 US colleges and 44 of 87 in Washington. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $84,619.
How much student debt do Highline College graduates have?
$9,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Highline College graduates, about $101 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 1.9% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Highline College?
35% of first-time, full-time students at Highline College finish within 6 years. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Highline College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (409 associate's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (85 certificate graduates), Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (71 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 69 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.