Career Training Path › Washington › Whatcom Community College
Whatcom Community College
Bellingham, Washington · Public college · Training programs available:
Address: 237 W Kellogg Rd, Bellingham, WA 98226 · Phone: (360) 383-3000 · School website ↗ · Verify on College Scorecard ↗
No accreditor sanctions in the last 36 months
Whatcom Community College is a public trade and career school in Bellingham, Washington, offering medical assistant programs, CNA classes, and massage therapy training, accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
Per the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, graduates of Whatcom Community College carry a median debt of $10,643 and earn a median of $44,092 ten years after entry; the campus completion rate itself is not reported.
Cost of attendance is not reported in federal data for Whatcom Community College; contact the school for current tuition. Federal financial aid can be used here, and about 20.6% of students receive Pell Grants.
What these trades pay once you're working
| Occupation | Starting (10th pct) | Median | Experienced (75th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical assistants | $46,540 | $59,290 | $63,590 |
| Nursing assistants | $42,500 | $49,180 | $57,930 |
| Massage therapists | $61,850 | $87,360 | $97,550 |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wages for everyone employed in the occupation in Washington (May 2025; national where the state figure is not published). The program table below shows what this campus's own graduates earned in their first year, whatever job they took.
Trade programs at this campus
| Program | Credential | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Earnings, yr 2 | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 36 | $38,853 | $40,209 | not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 17 | $38,853 | $40,209 | not reported |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Certificate, under 300 hours | 17 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Certificate, 1–2 years | 12 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate, 1–2 years | 12 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Certificate, 300–899 hours | 10 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Graduates per year from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey. Earnings and debt are College Scorecard field-of-study medians for graduates of this program at this campus (reported at the 4-digit program level, so closely related programs share a figure); "not reported" means too few graduates were counted to publish a figure.
About this school
Whatcom Community College is a public community college in Bellingham, Washington, accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, with its nursing and physical therapy programs holding additional programmatic accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and the American Physical Therapy Association's Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Federal financial aid, including FAFSA and Pell Grants, can be used at this school. Among its trade and career offerings, the campus awards the most credentials in medical assistant programs (65 completions), CNA classes (27), and massage therapy schools (12), across six total program families.
For outcomes, 104 students completed trade programs recently out of an undergraduate enrollment of 2,378. The state average completion rate is 66.1%, though this campus's own completion rate and its comparison to the state average are not reported for this campus in federal data. Graduates carry a median debt of $10,643, and median earnings ten years after entry are $44,092, per federal data. Annual cost of attendance is not reported for this campus in federal data. About 20.6% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating a meaningful share of low-income enrollment.
This campus, located in a small city, may suit students seeking healthcare-adjacent trade credentials such as medical assisting, nursing assistant training, or massage therapy, though specific program lengths are not detailed here. Adult learners and career changers should contact the school directly to confirm scheduling and program duration. To verify accreditation status and review updated federal outcome data, prospective students can consult the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard or contact Whatcom Community College directly.
Questions students ask
What trade and career programs does this campus offer?
Whatcom Community College awards the most completions in medical assistant programs (65), CNA classes (27), and massage therapy schools (12), across six total program families.
Is this school accredited, and by whom?
Yes, it is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, with additional programmatic accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and the American Physical Therapy Association's Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
Can I use federal financial aid (FAFSA, Pell Grants) at this school?
Yes, this school participates in Title IV federal financial aid programs, so FAFSA and Pell Grants can be used here.
What share of students finish their program here, and how does that compare to the state?
The campus completion rate and its comparison to the state average are not reported for this campus in federal data. The state average completion rate is 66.1%, for reference.
How much debt do graduates of this school typically carry?
Graduates carry a median debt of $10,643, per federal data.
What do graduates of this school earn?
Median earnings ten years after entry are $44,092, per federal data.
How much does it cost to attend for a year?
Annual cost of attendance is not reported for this campus in federal data; contact the school at (360) 383-3000 or visit whatcom.edu for current tuition.
Is this a public, non-profit, or for-profit school, and why does that matter?
Whatcom Community College is a public institution, which typically means lower tuition for residents and eligibility for state funding, though specific costs are not reported here.
How long do the programs here take to complete?
Program lengths are not reported in this data; contact the school directly to confirm program duration for medical assisting, CNA, or massage therapy tracks.
How do I verify this school's accreditation and outcomes myself?
You can review this campus's outcomes and accreditation details on the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard at collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?237039.
Is this school a good fit for an adult changing careers?
The data does not specify program formats or lengths, so fit for career changers cannot be confirmed from federal data alone; contact the school to discuss scheduling and program details.
How do I contact the school or apply?
You can reach Whatcom Community College at (360) 383-3000 or through its website at whatcom.edu.
How does this campus compare with other schools offering the same trade nearby?
Comparative data with nearby schools is not reported in federal data provided here; consult the College Scorecard for side-by-side comparisons.
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Data: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026. Figures are the U.S. Department of Education's official measures, not Career Training Path's opinion. Tuition, schedules and program availability change — confirm with the school before enrolling.