About the Community and Technical Colleges
Goals of the Two-year Colleges
- Economic Demand –
Strengthen state and local economies by meeting the demands for a well-educated and skilled workforce.
- Student Success – Achieve increased educational attainment for all residents across the state.
- Innovation – Use technology, collaboration and innovation to meet the demands of the economy and improve student success.
The CTC System – Fast Facts
- There are 34 community and technical colleges in Washington state.
- Community and technical colleges served nearly half a million people – 471,145 students – in 2008-09. This unduplicated headcount represents each student counted only once, even if the student enrolled for more than one quarter or at more than one college during the year.
Workforce Training
A total of 68,657 (47 percent) state-supported FTES were generated by students enrolled for workforce education (upgrading job skills or preparing to enter a new job field), an 11 percent increase over the previous year.
Worker Retraining FTES increase and decrease based on the extent of job layoffs due to a changing economy. The worsening economy in 2008-09 drove up Worker Retraining enrollments by nearly 36 percent. In 2008-09, community and technical colleges served 15,136 Worker Retraining students (8,462 FTES).
Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) pairs adult basic education or English as a second language with workforce training. In 2008-09, some 2,795 students were enrolled for 1,141 FTES in programs in fields such as allied health, industrial maintenance, automotive, and early childhood education.
Dual Enrollment Programs (College and High School)
Contract funded dual enrollment programs allow high school students to complete requirements for high school graduation and, at the same time,get a head start on college. Running Start is 83 percent of all dual enrollments. In 2008-09 there were 11,845 Running Start FTES, a one-year increase of 5.9 percent.
The balance of dual enrollment FTES are divided between Alternative High School Programs (1,735 FTES) and College in the High School (609 FTES).
eLearning
eLearning enrolled 23,604 state FTES or 16 percent of all state FTES. eLearning continued its strong growth, increasing by 4,737 FTES or 25 percent. This contributed to 43 percent of the system’s total state growth. Eighty-two percent (82 percent) of eLearning is state funded.
Online learning, which includes no face-to-face instruction, is the most popular form of eLearning, comprising 71 percent. Online learning increased by 2,951 state FTES or 21.5 percent.
Hybrid courses combine online with some face-to-face coursework. Hybrid courses increased by 1,610 state FTES or 44.8 percent. This form of eLearning is projected to grow rapidly over the next several years.
Literacy Education2
Two-year colleges provide 95 percent of all adult literacy education in the state.
In 2008-09, 17,022 FTES (12 percent) were generated by students enrolled with an immediate goal of basic skills [Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a second language (ESL), General Education Development (GED) preparation, or high school completion].
Transfer Preparation
More than 1/3 of transfer students are the first in their family to go to college. Two-year colleges provide the initial education for 41 percent of students receiving bachelor’s degrees. This includes 53 percent of K-12 teachers; 38 percent of engineering, technology, science, and math bachelor’s degrees; and about 78 percent of nurses.
CTC Bachelor's Pilots
In 2009, 57 students graduated with degrees from the first four pilot colleges started in 2007. Those colleges were:
- Bellevue Community College – Bachelor of Applied Science in Radiation and Imaging Sciences
- Peninsula College – Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management
- Olympic College – Bachelor of Science Nursing
- South Seattle Community College – Bachelor of Applied Science in Hospitality Management
Enrollments increased by 53 FTES, or 58.9 percent, in the first pilot colleges as they started new junior year classes. Three more pilot colleges will begin their programs in fall 2009.
See a detailed history of the community
and technical college system.
See a map of all 34 community and technical colleges.
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