Highline College

What are the graduation rates for students at Highline College?

Highline College's reported overall graduation rate is 35% in the 2024-25 IPEDS figures. This is a defined cohort measure, not the share of all Highline students who eventually earn a credential.

Federal graduation-rate reporting principally follows first-time, full-time students and measures completion within 150% of a program's normal length. At a college with transfer students, part-time enrollment, short certificates, and students whose goal is to move to another institution, that measure captures only part of the picture. The rate was 39% in the preceding reported year, but a year-to-year change alone does not establish its cause.

Prospective students should consider the measure alongside their own pathway. Someone planning to transfer needs to know which courses apply at the destination university; someone entering a technical program needs its completion requirements and schedule. Neither outcome is fully described by an institution-wide graduation percentage.

What is the earning potential for graduates at Highline College?

Career earnings are better evaluated by occupation and credential than by assuming that every Highline College student will have the same outcome. The college offers pathways with substantially different educational goals, from university transfer to direct workforce entry.

A useful earnings comparison specifies the program, whether the statistic covers completers or another group, how long after attendance income was measured, and whether the figure is a median or an average. One-year earnings figures can be especially sensitive to whether students are working full time, continuing their education, or entering a licensed field. They should not be read as a salary promise.

Highline's career-support offerings include individual and group planning, résumé help, career exploration, job listings, and employer events. Those services may help students prepare for a search, but they are not employment outcomes. Applicants comparing programs can pair labor-market information with the program's required training, potential licensing steps, and likely transfer plans.