Whatcom Community College
Whatcom Community College is a public community college in Bellingham, Washington serving 7,000+ students annually with associate and bachelor's degrees, professional-technical certificates, transitional learning, and continuing education, operating under the Washington State community college system.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersBellingham, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Whatcom Community College does
Whatcom Community College is a public community college located in Bellingham, Washington, operating under the governance of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Founded in 1967 and accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) up to the bachelor's level, the college serves more than 7,000 students annually through a 251-500 employee headcount (395 staff per the faculty/staff directory). Its service area spans Whatcom County and broader Northwest Washington, with explicit outreach to tribal communities (Lummi Nation, Nooksack Tribe), international students, veterans, reentry students, and Running Start high schoolers from 18+ regional high schools.
The college's academic portfolio spans transfer associate degrees, four applied bachelor's degrees (Business Management, IT Networking & Cybersecurity, Social Work, and Computer Science), professional-technical certificates, transitional learning and GED preparation, ESOL, and non-credit Community & Continuing Education delivered both on-campus and online (via the ed2go partnership). The technology platform is built on industry-standard third-party systems: Canvas for learning management, ctcLink (the Washington state SIS) for enrollment and student records, MyWCC for the student portal, and Navigate360 (EAB) for student success and advising. The proprietary Orca Card integrates WTA bus transit, library access, recreation center entry, printing, and bookstore debit into a single student credential. The college holds NSA/DHS National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) designation and hosts the NCyTE Center and CyberWatch West consortium.
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: Washington State appropriations tied to enrollment and performance, per-credit tuition for in-state/out-of-state/international students (set by the state board), and ancillary fees including a $20/quarter student-approved Orca Card bus pass. The WCC Foundation supplements this with scholarships ($589,695 awarded to 336 students in 2024-2025) and emergency student funds. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, with prospective student acquisition driven by high school counselor partnerships, campus tours, community events, outreach presentations, and a digital presence across website, social media, and email. On-campus housing (Cedar Hall, 230 students) and a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio function as recruitment and retention assets.
Whatcom Community College firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Whatcom Community College
- Legal name
- Whatcom Community College
- Website
- https://whatcom.edu
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Whatcom Community College is a public community college in Bellingham, Washington serving 7,000+ students annually with associate and bachelor's degrees, professional-technical certificates, transitional learning, and continuing education, operating under the Washington State community college system.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Whatcom Community College industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education / Community College
- NAICS
- Junior Colleges (61121), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Community Colleges (EDAHADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE), Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting) (EDAHADAC)
Keywords
Where Whatcom Community College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellingham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Whatcom Community College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Per-credit tuition for in-state and out-of-state students. Additional fees include student activity fees, technology fees, and Orca Card fees ($20/quarter for WTA bus pass).
- State Funding: Public community college funded by Washington State, with operational funding based on enrollment and performance metrics.
- Foundation Scholarships: WCC Foundation provides scholarships to students ($589,695 awarded to 336 students for 2024-2025 academic year).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Quarterly | Standard Per-Credit Tuition |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Orca Card Quarterly Fee |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Community & Continuing Education |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Whatcom Community College product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Whatcom Community College is a public community college in Bellingham, Washington, offering associate degrees, four bachelor's degree programs, professional-technical certificates, university transfer pathways, workforce training, adult basic education, GED preparation, and continuing education. It serves more than 7,000 students annually across credit, non-credit, and community education programs as part of the Washington State community and technical college system.
Product overview
Whatcom Community College offers a comprehensive educational platform consisting of core student-facing systems and specialized programs. The primary student systems include Canvas LMS for course management, ctcLink for enrollment and student records, MyWCC for student accounts, and the Orca Card for integrated campus services. Navigate360 provides mobile-based student success functionality while Orca Central serves as the physical/virtual hub for enrollment support. The college provides three Bachelor of Applied Science degrees in Business Management, IT Networking Cybersecurity, and Social Work, alongside associate degrees, professional-technical programs, and GED preparation. Community & Continuing Education extends offerings through non-credit classes and ed2go partnership. Specialized facilities include the Cybersecurity Center/NCyTE Center, Media Center with Makerspace, and Cedar Hall on-campus housing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WCC Foundation: The college's official fundraising and alumni engagement organization that provides scholarships and student emergency funds
- Orca Central
- Orca Athletics
- NCyTE Center
- Cedar Hall
Products and services
- Orca Central (Student Services Hub)
- Community and Continuing Education
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management
- Bachelor of Applied Science in IT Networking Cybersecurity A four-year bachelor's degree program in information technology networking with cybersecurity specialization, recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the NSA and DHS.
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Social Work
- NCyTE Center (National Cybersecurity Training & Education)
- Cedar Hall On-Campus Housing
- Media Center and Makerspace
- Ed2go Career Training
Companies that use Whatcom Community College
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Whatcom Community College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Whatcom Community College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Western Washington UniversitycoreGuaranteed Transfer Admission agreement allowing WCC students to transfer seamlessly to WWU. Partnership supports the most popular university transfer pathway program at WCC, with staff expertise in advising students on transfer to top universities throughout the U.S.
- Local High Schools (Bellingham, Meridian, Mt. Baker, Nooksack, Options, Sehome, Squalicum, Ferndale, Orcas Island, Anacortes, Oak Harbor, Blaine, Lynden, Lynden Christian, Lake Stevens, Whatcom Intergenerational, Burlington-Edison, Sedro Woolley)corePartnership with 18+ high schools in the region for Running Start program allowing high school juniors and seniors to earn college credits tuition-free. Also includes CTE Dual Credit and special admission processes.
- Lummi Nation and Nooksack TribecoreDedicated outreach specialists assigned to serve tribal communities, providing culturally responsive recruitment and support services for Native American students.
- Area Health Education Center for Western Washington (AHECWW)coreWCC serves as host for AHECWW, supporting healthcare education workforce development in the region through programs, resources, and education initiatives.
- Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA)coreOrca Card integrated with WTA bus system providing unlimited bus service to enrolled students ($20/quarter student-approved fee). Touch-pass system on Orca Cards allows seamless transit access.
- CyberWatch WestcoreWCC designated as lead institution of CyberWatch West, a regional cybersecurity education consortium addressing shortage of information security professionals.
- NCyTE Center (National Cybersecurity Training & Education)coreWCC is host institution for NCyTE Center and CAE Candidates National Center (CCNC), serving as the Washington State Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.
- International Education Agents and PartnersminorNetwork of international education agents facilitating recruitment of international students to WCC programs.
- Homestay HostsminorLocal families provide homestay accommodations for international students under 17 years of age or those preferring homestay over campus housing.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Whatcom Community College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bellingham Technical College: Public technical college located in Bellingham, WA, offering associate degrees and technical certificates. Directly comparable as a same-city community/technical college competing for the same Whatcom County student pipeline.
- Skagit Valley College: Washington State community college serving the adjacent Skagit County region with associate degrees, transfer pathways, and Running Start — directly comparable as a peer institution in the same state system.
- Everett Community College: Public community college in the Washington State system offering associate degrees, transfer pathways, BAS degrees, and workforce programs — comparable scale and program mix to WCC.
- Edmonds College: Washington State community college with similar associate and BAS offerings, including international student programs — comparable in size, mission, and state-system structure.
- Bellevue College: Large Washington State community college offering associate, BAS, and bachelor's programs with strong international enrollment — comparable state-system peer with similar program breadth.
- Tacoma Community College: Washington State community college serving the South Sound region with transfer, technical, and BAS programs — comparable institutional profile within the same state system.
- Seattle Central College: Urban Washington State community college offering transfer and technical programs plus BAS degrees and international student recruitment — directly comparable in mission and program mix.
- Peninsula College: Washington State community college on the Olympic Peninsula with associate degrees, transfer programs, and Running Start — comparable in size and state-system structure.
- Clark College: Washington State community college in Vancouver, WA with associate, transfer, and BAS programs and international student enrollment — comparable institutional profile and program breadth.
Broad incumbents
- Western Washington University: Public four-year university in Bellingham that is WCC's primary guaranteed-transfer partner. Operates broadly in higher education in the same region and competes for upper-division and transfer-bound students.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Whatcom Community College social profiles
Digital presenceWhatcom Community College compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Whatcom Community College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Whatcom Community College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Whatcom Community College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Whatcom Community College M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Whatcom Community College
What does Whatcom Community College do?
Whatcom Community College is a public community college in Bellingham, Washington, offering associate degrees, four bachelor's degree programs, professional-technical certificates, university transfer pathways, workforce training, adult basic education, GED preparation, and continuing education. It serves more than 7,000 students annually across credit, non-credit, and community education programs as part of the Washington State community and technical college system.
Is Whatcom Community College a public or private company?
Whatcom Community College is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Whatcom Community College founded?
Whatcom Community College was founded in 1970. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Whatcom Community College based?
Whatcom Community College is headquartered in Bellingham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Whatcom Community College make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are state Funding and foundation Scholarships.
Who are Whatcom Community College's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bellingham Technical College, Skagit Valley College, Everett Community College, Edmonds College, Bellevue College, Tacoma Community College, Seattle Central College, Peninsula College and Clark College. Western Washington University is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Whatcom Community College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Whatcom Community College.
What industry is Whatcom Community College in?
Whatcom Community College's product category is Higher Education / Community College. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHADAA, Public Community Colleges, with a secondary code of EDAHADAE, Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce). Its NAICS code is 61121 and its SIC code is 8200.