
Cascadia College is a public college in Bothell, Washington. Established in the 1990s, it opened for classes in 2000 as Cascadia Community College and later adopted its current name. Its history is closely tied to its shared campus with the University of Washington Bothell.
That arrangement helps explain Cascadia's identity today: it offers community-college transfer and career pathways in a setting where students also encounter a neighboring four-year university. Sharing a campus does not, however, make Cascadia students UW Bothell students or automatically admit them to UW programs.
Cascadia organizes its teaching around academic programs rather than the large schools or faculties typical of a university. Students can pursue associate-level transfer studies, professional and technical programs, certificates, and selected applied bachelor's study.
Transfer-oriented students can build coursework in subjects such as writing, mathematics, science, business, and the social sciences toward a bachelor's degree elsewhere. Career-focused options include computing and sustainability-related study. The exact credential matters: an associate degree designed for transfer serves a different purpose from a shorter certificate or an applied bachelor's degree.
Students planning to transfer should select courses with both Cascadia's academic advising staff and the intended university's degree requirements in mind. Completion of a transfer degree does not, by itself, guarantee admission to a particular university or competitive major.
Cascadia College is in Bothell, northeast of Seattle, on a campus shared with the University of Washington Bothell. The setting is suburban, with access to the broader Seattle-area employment market but a daily experience shaped largely by commuting.
Regional bus service connects the campus with surrounding communities. Students comparing class schedules should check transit frequency, travel time, and parking arrangements, particularly for evening courses. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the region's principal commercial airport, though it is not near campus.
Cascadia presents its educational purpose in terms of accessible learning, student achievement, equity, and service to its community. Its mix of transfer, workforce, and applied programs reflects a public-college mission rather than a single academic specialization.
The college also emphasizes environmental responsibility in its educational identity and campus setting. These are institutional priorities, not measures of an individual student's experience; prospective students can evaluate how they appear in the curriculum and services relevant to their goals.
Name of the institution
Cascadia CollegeLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, not primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
1,000 - 4,999School type
Four-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
QuartersFoundation year
1994Cascadia College is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degreeData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.