Bates Technical College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Tacoma, Washington. It enrolls 1,813 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic CalendarQuarter
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
79/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes65
Value89
Affordability45
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Bates Technical College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $6,292 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$6,027
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$12,165
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,310
Books & Supplies
$528
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,746
Total Cost of Attendance
$18,837
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$4,403
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,013
$48,001 – $75,000
$7,371
$75,001 – $110,000
$12,978
Over $110,000
$17,404
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,41210%percentile
$2,56125%percentile
$8,75075%percentile
$12,37590%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $5,125
—
No Pell $7,031
—
Dependent students $4,649
—
Independent students $6,375
—
Female students $6,538
—
Male students $5,125
—
What this means:
12% of students receive Pell grants. Most cost is borne by families above Pell thresholds. Verify your individual aid offer before deciding.
Graduation Rate & Retention
23% of students who start here finish within six years. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
23%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $50,051 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$50,051
Earning > $25K
72%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$39,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$45,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$38,900
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$50,700
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$58,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $6,500, about 14% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Declining: debt management worsening over time ↓
13.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Concerning. Only 47% of graduates are actively reducing principal even seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,813 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 49% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
1,813
Part-Time
22%
First-Generation
49%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 35.3%640
Hispanic 19.3%349
Black 11.4%206
Other 11.0%199
Asian 4.9%88
International 0.4%7
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Bates Technical College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Bates Technical College offers
a varied set of programs:
39 distinct programs across
14 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 21 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
21:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$11,671
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$3.5M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$71,646
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
69 instructional faculty across 1 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Instructors
69
100%
$71,646
Pros & Cons of Bates Technical College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Bates Technical College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for:
Based on the data, Bates Technical College is a fit for
families focused on keeping net cost low.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bates Technical College
The questions families ask most about Bates Technical College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
How much does Bates Technical College cost?
Budget around $6,292 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Bates Technical College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $50,051 a year against a net price of $6,292, about 8.0 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Bates Technical College known for?
Mostly Clinical/Medical Laboratory, Practical Nursing, Practical Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Bates Technical College graduates earn?
About $50,051 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Bates Technical College accredited?
Yes. Bates Technical College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Bates Technical College?
1,813 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Bates Technical College?
23% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Bates Technical College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Bates Technical College located?
Bates Technical College is located in Tacoma, Washington.
What programs does Bates Technical College offer?
39 different programs, most commonly Clinical/Medical Laboratory, Practical Nursing, Practical Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Bates Technical College?
21 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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