2025 Top Online Community Colleges in Washington

Community colleges are affordable and flexible options for completing a variety of educational programs. They will often offer associate degrees, certificate programs, diplomas, various kinds of career training, and sometimes even bachelor's degrees.

While there is only one online community college in Washington, there are many across the country that offer nationwide online community college programs that are available to residents of Washington.

Here we will explore Washington's online community college option, as well as several nationwide options. We will also provide the answers to some frequently asked questions regarding community colleges.

Featured Community Colleges Online in Washington

Learn more about the community college in Washington that offers online courses.

1. Seattle Central College

Seattle Central College is a public college located in Seattle, Washington, and it has been providing higher education services for over a half-century. The college offers a variety of program types.

Seattle Central College offers many online courses that are designed to be flexible so that students can complete them at their own pace. Several dozen courses in various subjects are offered online each quarter.

In-state tuition at Seattle Central College is $124 per credit hour.

Other Community Colleges Online

While these community colleges are not located in Washington, their online programs and courses are offered nationwide and are available to residents of Washington.

1. Washtenaw Community College

Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Washtenaw Community College was founded in 1965. Today, this college has a student body of nearly 20,000 students across both its campus and online programs.

Washtenaw Community College has a total of 137 programs of study, and of those over 50 of them can be completed fully online. The school offers online programs across fields of study like:

• business
• computer technology
• general studies
• health sciences

Out-of-state tuition for online students at WCC is $135 per credit hour.

2. Metropolitan Community College

Metropolitan Community College was founded in 1915 in Kansas City, Missouri, and it is the first community college established in the state. The college has over 120 degree and certificate programs and a student body of 20,000.

Through MCC Online, students can complete their courses in a flexible environment with 24-hour access. The school offers five associate degrees online including art, accounting, cybersecurity, software development, and art education.

The tuition rate for out-of-state students at Metropolitan Community College is $320 per credit hour.

3. Gwinnett Technical College

Located in Alpharetta, Georgia, Gwinnett Technical College has over 140 degree programs to choose from. The college provides these to its student body of over 11,000 students.

Within its online learning platform, Gwinnett Technical College offers degree programs in several fields of study. They include:

• business technology
• criminal justice
• computer programming
• cybersecurity
• networking

Out-of-state tuition at Gwinnett Technical College begins at $678 for one credit hour with an additional fee of $200 per added credit hour.

4. Northwood Technical College

Northwood Technical College has multiple campuses in the state of Wisconsin. The college offers over 100 degree and certificate programs spanning over 60 career fields.

NTC offers both individual online courses and fully online programs, of which there are 37 in total, including degrees, certificates, and transfer programs. Some of their online programs include:

• accounting
• health information technology
• web and software development
• Microsoft Office

Online out-of-state tuition at Northwood Technical College is $234 per credit hour.

5. Ogeechee Technical College

Located in Statesboro, Georgia, Ogeechee Technical College is a relatively new institution of higher education, having been in operation for 37 years.

Ogeechee Tech offers both entirely online programs and individual online general education courses. The college offers online programs in areas like business management, computer information systems, early childhood education, and more.

For an out-of-state student, tuition at Ogeechee Technical College is $200 per credit hour.

6. Houston Community College

Houston Community College is a public institution of higher education that has multiple campuses in the state of Texas. The college was founded over 50 years ago.

Houston Community College has 60 online programs that cover 80 fields of study. Just some of the associate degrees that can be completed online include:

• Associate of Arts in business
• Associate of Science in computer science
• Associate of Arts in English
• Associate of Science in psychology

Out-of-state tuition at Houston Community College is $151 per credit hour.

7. Itawamba Community College

With multiple campuses across the state of Mississippi, Itawamba Community College is a public community college. The college has small class sizes with a student-to-faculty ratio of 20 to one.

Itawamba has several associate degree programs that students can complete online. Some of these degrees include early childhood education, criminal justice, general studies, and more.

Out-of-state tuition at Itawamba is $2,550.

8. Northern Virginia Community College

Northern Virginia Community College has multiple campuses and centers as well as online programs through NOVA Online. The college has a long history of providing distance learning and online education.

NOVA Online offers over 30 of the school's degree and certificate programs, allowing students to receive the same quality education as on campus in an online setting. The school has online courses in dozens of fields of study.

Tuition for out-of-state students at Northern Virginia Community College is $364 per credit hour.

9. Panola College

Panola College is a public community college located in the city of Carthage, Texas. The college has a smaller student body with fewer than 3,000 students in total.

Panola College provides online courses through its distance learning services. The structure varies from course to course, with some allowing students to work at their own pace for the entirety of the course.

Out-of-state tuition at Panola College is $200 per credit hour.

Is Community College Free in Washington?

While community college is not free in Washington, community colleges are a very affordable option for higher education. In comparison to private colleges and universities, the cost of attendance is extremely low, and students will be able to apply for financial aid.

For example, at Seattle Central College, the community college in Washington that offers online courses, resident tuition is $124 per credit hour, which is a fraction of the in-state tuition cost at many other institutions.

How Much Does Community College Cost in Washington?

Seattle Central College, Washington's community college that offers online courses, is very affordable with tuition costing $124 per credit hour. Students in Washington also have access to nationwide online community colleges.

Washington Community College Degree Types

Seattle Central College offers a variety of program types. They include college transfer programs, career training programs, transitional studies, eLearning/online courses, as well as a handful of bachelor's degrees, and others.

It is common to see programs such as these offered at community colleges, as well as associate degrees, certificates, diplomas, and more.

Career Opportunities for Washington Community College Graduates

Community colleges are often very career-focused, emphasizing associate degrees, certificate programs, and career training. Graduates are usually in advantageous positions for pursuing a career.

There is also a huge variety of fields in which students can study at community colleges. They can be an avenue to pursue a career in nearly any career a student is interested in.

Find an Online Community College Today

Now that we've covered some great options for online community college, find the right one for you today!