Pierce College District
Lakewood, Washington · Also known as Pierce College · Website
$47,532
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$47,532
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Pierce College District is a public 4-year college in Lakewood, Washington with 5,313 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $10,222 a year (tuition and fees $5,418 in-state, $5,976 out-of-state). 31% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $47,532 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $12,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$10,222
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$5,418
Out-of-state $5,976
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
31%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$12,000
About $127 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$47,532
Rank 1,707 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
- $10,222
- Tuition in-state
- $5,418
- Tuition out-of-state
- $5,976
- Cost of attendance
- $18,085
- Students with a need-based grant
- 23%
- Students with federal loans
- 11%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $7,816
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $9,066
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $11,592
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $14,309
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $17,249
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 $3,643 in 2015-16 to $5,418 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
- 5,313
- Part-time students
- 43%
- Women
- 63%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 31%
- Highest degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Programs
- 57
- Endowment
- $4.03M
- 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 1,707 of 5,094 US colleges and 46 of 87 in Washington (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | WA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $10,222 | $14,091 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $5,418 | $8,256 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 83% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 31% | 50% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | - | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $12,000 | $13,653 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $39,406 | $42,696 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $47,532 | $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. 37% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 65% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
57 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 | 1,171 | $10,217 | $24,101 | Withheld | $44,125 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 89 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,927 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 77 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $80,813 |
| Physical Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 41 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,076 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsCertificate | Certificate | 38 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 36 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsAssociate's | Associate's | 32 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,737 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 32 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $19,000 | $55,849 | Withheld | - |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $68,061 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsAssociate's | Associate's | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,656 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,460 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessCertificate | Certificate | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementAssociate's | Associate's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Accounting and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's | Associate's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Lakewood and Washington on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Washington
- Homes: Homes for sale in Washington
Questions and answers
How much does Pierce College District cost?
$10,222 a year is the average net price at Pierce College District after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $5,418 for in-state students and $5,976 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $18,085. Families earning under $30,000 pay $7,816 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Pierce College District?
Pierce College District has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Pierce College District graduates earn?
$47,532 a year is the median pay of former Pierce College District students who work, 10 years after they started ($39,406 after 6 years). That ranks 1,707 of 5,094 US colleges and 46 of 87 in Washington. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's) at $55,849.
How much student debt do Pierce College District graduates have?
$12,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Pierce College District graduates, about $127 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 11% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Pierce College District?
31% of first-time, full-time students at Pierce College District finish within 6 years. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Pierce College District?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (1,171 associate's graduates), Business/Commerce, General (89 associate's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (77 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 57 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.