Go to Pay Tuition & Fees Page

South Puget Sound Community College follows the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) tuition and fees policies, which generally describe the amounts that are charged for different types of classes and students. Mandatory fees are approved by the College's Board of Trustees. More information is available at the SBCTC tuition and fees web page.

Understanding Tuition and Fees in ctcLink

Tuition at community and technical colleges in Washington is charged per credit by residency status and division level. Tuition includes operating fee, building fee, and S&A (Services and Activities) components which are displayed separately in ctcLink.

Most classes charge operating, building, and S&A fees as tuition.

  • Operating fee: A tuition fee that supports school operations.
  • Building fee: A tuition fee that supports infrastructure and innovation. This tuition fee is charged for in-person and online classes.
  • S&A fee: A tuition services and activity fee used to cover student activities and programs.

Non-Resident Student Tuition

Non-Resident Students will see additional charges as part of SBCTC policy.

  • Non-Resident Operating Fee: Non-resident students may see both an 'Operating Fee' and an 'Operating Fee Diff'. The 'Diff' fee is the differential between the resident and non-resident rate.
  • Non-Resident Building Fee: Non-resident students will see two 'Non-Resident Building' charges. One is the charge at the Resident rate, and the other is the non-resident differential.

*Non-resident students are eligible to receive a waiver to cover the operating differential fee. This does not apply to International students.

Undetermined residency will default to non-resident tuition rates. Visit the Residency webpage for more information on eligibility or changes to residency.

Upper & Lower Division Tuition

Classification of lower division and upper division tuition rates are assessed by course level.

  • Lower division includes all courses 299 level and below.
  • Upper division includes all courses 300 level and above.

Visit the Funding and Costs webpage for more information on Cost of Attendance at SPSCC.

2025 - 2026 Tuition Rates

Effective Fall 2025 - Summer 2026

Number of Credits Washington Resident Non-Washington Resident, U.S. Citizen Non-Resident, International Active Service Members Who Qualify for DoD Tuition Assistance
1 $131.96 $150.94 $339.30 $102.95
2 $263.92 $301.88 $678.60 $205.90
3 $395.88 $452.82 $1,017.90 $308.85
4 $527.84 $603.76 $1,357.20 $411.80
5 $659.80 $754.70 $1,696.50 $514.75
6 $791.76 $905.64 $2,035.80 $617.70
7 $923.72 $1,056.58 $2,375.10 $720.65
8 $1,055.68 $1,207.52 $2,714.40 $823.60
9 $1,187.64 $1,358.46 $3,053.70 $926.55
10 $1,319.60 $1,509.40 $3,393.00 $1,029.50
11 $1,384.69 $1,575.50 $3,466.57 $1,081.30
12 $1,449.78 $1,641.60 $3,540.14 $1,133.10
13 $1,514.87 $1,707.70 $3,613.71 $1,184.90
14 $1,579.96 $1,773.80 $3,687.28 $1,236.70
15 $1,645.05 $1,773.80 $3,687.28 $1,288.50
16 $1,710.14 $1,906.00 $3,834.42 $1,340.30
17 $1,775.23 $1,972.10 $3,907.99 $1,392.10
18 $1,840.32 $2,038.20 $3,981.56 $1,443.90
19 $1,958.71 $2,156.59 $4,307.29 $1,562.29
20 $2,077.10 $2,274.98 $4,633.02 $1,680.68
21 $2,195.49 $2,393.37 $4,958.75 $1,799.07
22 $2,313.88 $2,511.76 $5,284.48 $1,917.46
23 $2,432.27 $2,630.15 $5,610.21 $2,035.85
24 $2,550.66 $2,748.54 $5,935.94 $2,154.24
25 $2,669.05 $2,866.93 $6,261.67 $2,272.63

 

Cost per Credit        
Resident 1-10 credits $131.96 11-18 credits $65.09
Out-of-State 1-10 credits $150.94 11-18 credits $66.10
International 1-10 credits $339.30 11-18 credits $73.57

 

Number of Credits Washington Resident Non-Washington Resident, U.S. Citizen Non-Resident, International Active Service Members Who Qualify for DoD Tuition Assistance
1 $255.94 $274.92 $718.88 $226.93
2 $511.88 $549.84 $1,437.76 $453.86
3 $767.82 $824.76 $2,156.64 $680.79
4 $1,023.76 $1,099.68 $2,875.52 $907.72
5 $1,279.70 $1,374.60 $3,594.40 $1,134.65
6 $1,535.64 $1,649.52 $4,313.28 $1,361.58
7 $1,791.58 $1,924.44 $5,032.16 $1,588.51
8 $2,047.52 $2,199.36 $5,751.04 $1,815.44
9 $2,303.46 $2,474.28 $6,469.92 $2,042.37
10 $2,559.40 $2,749.20 $7,188.80 $2,269.30
11 $2,572.69 $2,763.50 $7,203.10 $2,269.30
12 $2,585.98 $2,777.80 $7,217.40 $2,269.30
13 $2,599.27 $2,792.10 $7,231.70 $2,269.30
14 $2,612.56 $2,806.40 $7,246.00 $2,269.30
15 $2,625.85 $2,820.70 $7,260.30 $2,269.30
16 $2,639.14 $2,835.00 $7,274.60 $2,269.30
17 $2,652.43 $2,849.30 $7,288.90 $2,269.30
18 $2,665.72 $2,863.60 $7,303.20 $2,269.30
19 $2,908.09 $3,105.97 $8,008.51 $2,511.67
20 $3,150.46 $3,348.34 $8,713.82 $2,754.04
21 $3,392.83 $3,590.71 $9,419.13 $2,996.41
22 $3,635.20 $3,833.08 $10,124.44 $3,238.78
23 $3,877.57 $4,075.45 $10,829.75 $3,481.15
24 $4,119.94 $4,317.82 $11,535.06 $3,723.52
25 $4,362.31 $4,560.19 $12,240.37 $3,965.89

 

Cost per Credit        
Resident 1-10 credits $255.94 11-18 credits $13.29
Out-of-State 1-10 credits $274.92 11-18 credits $14.30
International 1-10 credits $718.88 11-18 credits $14.30

 

pdf
2025-26 Annual, Quarterly, & Per Credit Tuition & Fee Rates

pdf
2025-26 WA Resident
pdf
2025-26 Non-Resident, U.S. Citizen (Out-of-State)
pdf
2025-26 Non-Resident, International

2024 - 2025 Tuition Rates

pdf
2024 - 2025 Tuition Rates Table

Fees

The college charges additional fees to support the enhancement of student learning and the student experience.

Type of Fee  
Matriculation Fee  
All Students $20 per quarter
Student Building Fee  
All Students $6 per credit (all credits)
Technology Fee  
All Students $40 per quarter (1-9 credits)                  
$50 per quarter (10+ credits & Running Start students)
Online Class Fee  
All students enrolled in online or hybrid classes $8 per credit 
Associated Student Programs Fee  
Running Start Students Only $5 per credit (up to $50 maximum)
International Insurance Fee  
International Students Only $495 per quarter
Course Fees  
All Students Fees vary - View in Class Schedule course description
Late Registration Fee (After 10th day of quarter)  
All students $100 per course (in addition to tuition & fees)

 

Find more info here.

Type of Fee  
Transition Studies Tuition  
ABE, ESOL, GED, HS Completion $25 per quarter
Technology Fee  
ABE, ESOL, GED, HS Completion $10 per quarter

 

Active Service Members who qualify for DOD’s Tuition Assistance: Students are responsible for all mandatory fees, course fees, and any miscellaneous fees. Visit Department of Defense website for more information.

Running Start Students: Students are responsible for all mandatory fees, class fees, and any miscellaneous fees as well as tuition on courses including pre-college content and/or tuition on credits over the funding limits. Tuition and fees owed are calculated once the Running Start Verification form is processed by SPSCC. More information about costs and fee waiver opportunity available on the Running Start webpage.

Course Fees: Course fees vary and will be included in course descriptions in the Class Schedule in ctcLink. 

Books: The cost of books varies depending upon the type of class. Visit the Virtual Bookstore to view specific book costs in the current term.  
Average Cost per year: $900  
*Source: Washington Financial Aid Association

Supplies: The cost of supplies varies depending on the type of class, but could include paper, pens, pencils, etc. Most technical programs have costs for tools, uniforms, and other specialized materials.

Repeating Classes: Students repeating a course after the third time (includes V, W, and F grades) will be required to pay the full cost of the course (Non-Resident / International Rate) for any additional repeat attempts regardless of their residency.

Room & Board: The college does not offer or charge for room and board. Visit the Housing webpage to view housing options.

Statements & Disclosures 

RCW 28B.15.0681(5)(a) and (b) require that institutions of higher education provide certain information to all undergraduate resident students. This is also known as the HB 1795 disclosure.

5a) Fiscal Year 2024 Sources of Institutional Revenue:

  • State: $28,292,584
  • Grants & Contracts: $12,272,607
  • Local: $23,456,113
  • Tuition: $9,406,922
  • Total: $73,428,226

5b) Tuition revenue, as defined by RCW 28B.15.020, includes the Building Fee and the Operating Fee. Building Fee revenue is appropriated by the legislature specifically for buildings, equipment, maintenance and other capital projects. The list below shows the major activities supported by Operating fees revenue in fiscal year 2024.

  • Instruction: $2,537,191
  • Primary Academic Support: $299,255
  • Library: $128,013
  • Student Services: $915,262
  • Institutional Support: $1,846,101
  • Plant Operations: $965,473
  • Total: $6,691,595

The average cost to educate a resident full-time community or technical college student for the 2025-26 academic year is $15,154. Students pay an average of $3,866 in tuition toward this cost. The remaining $11,289 is an “opportunity pathway” provided by the State and is funded by state taxes and other sources. The amounts shown are averages for a full-time, resident student. The actual tuition a student pays will vary due to credit load, residency status and other factors.

Amounts in the table below represent an average for a full-time equivalent, lower division resident student attending community and technical colleges for the academic year 2025-26.

Cost of Instruction Resident Percent of Total
Tuition Operating Fee per Student    
Tuition Operating Fee is the standard operating fee for a full-time student in lower division classes		 $3,866  26%
State Support per Student    
State Support is the amount paid by the state from various sources, including taxes and other funds		 $11,289 74%
Total Cost Per Student     
Total costs per FTE is composed of Tuition Operating Fee and State Support		 $15,154 100%


 

Quick Links