Highline College

What does Highline College offer in terms of athletics?

Highline College's Thunderbirds compete in intercollegiate athletics through the Northwest Athletic Conference, or NWAC, rather than an NCAA division. Sports associated with the college include basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball, wrestling, cross-country running, and track and field.

Team availability, seasons, and participation requirements can vary by sport and year. Prospective athletes should distinguish a varsity-team opportunity from casual recreation and ask the relevant coach about tryouts, eligibility, travel, and practice commitments. The existence of a team does not establish that a particular applicant will be recruited or receive athletic aid.

What student groups and Associations are available at Highline College?

Highline College students can participate in student government and organizations built around culture, identity, interests, and service. Examples listed for the college include the Black Student Union, Pacific Islander Club, Friends of Bosnia, United Latino Association, and Muslim Student Association.

Club activity can change as student leaders graduate, so an organization's past listing is not a guarantee that it meets in the current quarter. Students looking for a group should consult the current student-activities directory or campus events calendar. Student government offers a different kind of involvement: representation in student-life decisions rather than membership centered on one subject or interest.

Who studies at Highline College?

Highline College enrolls a mix of first-time students, transfer entrants, teenagers, and adults. Its reported enrollment is 5,592 students; the 2024-25 figures identify 790 first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates and 445 transfer-in students.

The age distribution illustrates why a single picture of a "typical" student would be misleading. Students under 18 numbered 1,286, while 630 were ages 25-29. The under-18 group is consistent with the importance of early-college pathways such as Running Start, though the age count alone does not identify each student's program.

Highline draws heavily from Washington: 98% of students in the reported geographic measure were state residents. Reported race and ethnicity counts also reflect a student body with multiple backgrounds, including Hispanic or Latino, Black, Asian, White, and multiracial students. These categories describe enrollment; they do not, by themselves, establish what an individual student's campus experience will be.

How does student life look like at Highline College?

Student life at Highline College combines on-campus activities with the schedules of a largely local student population. How much time a student spends on campus may depend as much on work, commuting, and course format as on the events offered.

Students can connect through orientation activities, clubs, athletics, performances, and the student-run newspaper, The Thunderword. The college also reports personal or psychological counseling and a women's center among its support resources. These are distinct from academic advising: one helps with personal concerns, while the other helps students plan courses and credentials.

With a reported student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1, students may find opportunities to seek instruction and feedback, but that institution-wide ratio does not predict the size of a particular class. Checking course schedules and making use of office hours and academic support are more concrete ways to judge the day-to-day learning experience.

What libraries are available to students at Highline College?

The Highline College Library supports coursework and research with study space, collections, and help finding and evaluating sources. Its role extends beyond a place to borrow books.

Students can use library research assistance and electronic resources for assignments that require reliable articles or other academic material. Access rules for databases, borrowing, and interlibrary loans may differ, particularly when a student is off campus or taking online classes. Before planning a late study session or group meeting, students should check current building hours and any study-space reservation rules rather than assume round-the-clock access.