I went through this system as a student from outside my home state, and then spent years on the other side of the desk helping families read these same reports. I know what it feels like to face a list of figures without knowing which ones matter. Here, I translate them for you.
Who This School Is and Where It Is Located
The Evergreen State College is a public four-year college. The federal system that classifies colleges in the United States, called Carnegie, places it among master’s institutions with medium-sized programs: it is not a two-year community college, but neither is it a research doctoral university. Its highest reported level of study is the master’s degree.
According to that same classification, based on data from 2019-20, it is a small, primarily residential four-year school: between 25 and 49 out of every 100 degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or institution-affiliated housing, and at least half studied full time. And in the 2021 classification, it appears among institutions that enroll many transfer students. If your child is thinking about coming here after studying somewhere else, this matters: ask in writing, from the beginning, which courses will count and which will not. The label says that they receive many transfer students; it does not say how many credits they arrive with or how many are lost along the way.
Geographically, it is in Olympia, within Thurston County, in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater metropolitan area. The census code places it in a suburb: within the urbanized area, but outside the city center. If your child plans to live at home and commute, do not rely on what the map says. Drive the route yourself on a weekday at the time when your child’s classes would be held. Actual traffic is almost never what Google promises.
One more thing about identity: The Evergreen State College has none of three specific federal designations. It is not a historically Black college or university, it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this census, 138 do carry at least one of those three labels; this one does not. That does not say which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Nor does it mean that there is no community or support for any particular group. Ask directly: which cultural centers exist today, which student organizations are active, and better yet, talk with someone who already studies there.
The Size of the Community Your Child Would Enter
The Evergreen State College had 2,320 students enrolled in the most recent official count. It is a medium-sized school. Compared with the 519 selective public four-year schools in this census, it is on the smaller side: at least seven out of ten of those schools have more students. Of that total, 2,108 were undergraduates and only 212 were graduate students. It is primarily an undergraduate school.
It is worth saying plainly: being large does not mean more options, and being small does not mean more attention for your child. What matters is the specific field your child is interested in, not the institution’s overall size.
Within that community, 15 out of every 100 undergraduate students identified as Hispanic or Latino, placing it above the midpoint among its selective peers, but below the highest quartile. They are not the majority, but they are not unusual either. There are more women than men: 62 out of every 100. And one fact may surprise you: 40 out of every 100 undergraduate students are between 25 and 64 years old. If your child enrolls right out of high school, this is worth asking about directly during the visit: what class schedules are like and what student life is available during the week, because your child will share classrooms with many adults who work and study at the same time.
One piece of information is unavailable: where incoming students came from geographically. IPEDS does not report it for this school in the most recent cycle. It is unknown and is not estimated.
How the Academic Year Works
This college operates on the quarter system: the year is divided into three terms of approximately 12 weeks each, with the possibility of a fourth term in the summer. It differs from the traditional semester system, and if your child ever considers transferring between this school and another, you need to verify both institutions’ calendars and transfer policies in writing. The fact that both use quarters does not guarantee that their dates align.
The institution stated that it accepts credit from AP exams and also what IPEDS calls “credit for life experience”: learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, a portfolio, prior licenses, or military opportunities. It also reports accepting credit for military training. But stating that it accepts AP does not mean that it awards credit for every exam: the report does not say what scores are required or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific program. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling; do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
A separate fact: the institution responded that it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit, so if your child is looking for that path, this is not where it will be found.
What Students Study There and the Student-Faculty Ratio
Between July of 2022 and June of 2023, this college awarded 458 bachelor’s degrees. Of those, 363—79 out of every 100—were in general studies and humanities. Compared with 514 selective public schools in this census, it falls in the quartile with the fewest program families represented in its reported bachelor’s-degree details.
That is a strong concentration, and it is worth stating without dressing it up: the fact that one area accounts for nearly all degrees does not mean it is the best option, nor does it say anything about the specific program that interests your child. If your child’s interest lies outside general studies and humanities, the right question is not “Do you offer that major?” but “How many students graduated from that exact program last year, and how easy is it to get the classes they need?”
Regarding the student-faculty ratio: the institution reports 20 full-time-equivalent students per full-time-equivalent faculty member. Compared with its 519 peers, it falls in the highest quartile—three out of every four similar schools report the same ratio or a lower one. It is an aggregate figure, not a class size: it does not describe how a faculty member’s time is divided among 20 students or the actual size of a first-year class. Ask about that separately.
The Academic Pathways It Reports
The institution states that it offers study abroad, undergraduate research outside the classroom, a complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends, preparation for teacher certification below the college level, and the opportunity to complete preparation there in certain areas of teacher specialization. These are reported pathways, not guarantees of current availability: confirm them by program before building a plan around them.
Getting In: What They Require and How Likely a Yes Is
Here is one of the most important facts in this article. The Evergreen State College stated that it does not have open admissions: it reviews several components before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marked four as required: the high school record, the high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory course plan the institution requires, and an English proficiency exam when applicable. If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether that exam applies and what qualifies for an exemption—it is one of those things families discover late, complicating their timelines.
Other components are not required, but they are considered if submitted: the personal essay, letters of recommendation, a portfolio or competency exam, and work experience. The undergraduate application fee is $50.
And now the figure that will probably change how your child experiences this process: of 1,443 first-time applicants, the school admitted 1,403. That is 97 out of every 100. Compared with its 519 selective peers, it is among those that accept the most: at least nine out of ten of those schools accepted an equal or lower percentage. Only 40 out of 1,443 applicants received no offer.
To put it plainly: applicants are almost always accepted here. Your child’s energy is better spent completing the application on time than worrying about competing for a place. But being easy to enter does not mean it is inexpensive or that most students finish. Net price and graduation rate carry more weight than the admission rate when making a decision, and you will see them later in this same article.
One fact that often surprises families: out of every 100 admitted students, only 26 ultimately enrolled. The other 74 had the letter in hand and did not come. That is in line with what is common among its peers—neither above nor below the middle of the group. Receiving a yes is not the same as deciding to attend; many families receive several letters and compare them before committing.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required here. If submitted, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds in the same way. Of the students who enrolled, only 12 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among them the middle half scored between 470 and 670 in reading and writing, and between 420 and 590 in mathematics. These are ranges for students who enrolled and submitted scores, not for all applicants; that 470 is not a required minimum, and that 670 guarantees nothing.
Regarding transfers: in the most recent fall, 375 undergraduate students enrolled for the first time after studying at another institution. This is a count of people, and it falls in the lower half compared with its peers. The transfer-out rate—how many students who start here transfer elsewhere—is not reported by this school; that does not prove that no one transfers, only that the data are unavailable.
The Price: What It Costs and What Is Actually Paid
At The Evergreen State College, among 46 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $19,969. Among 18 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $24,430; among 17 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $25,934. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $5,965 between the average for the lowest-income band (46 students) and the average for the highest-income band (17 students). Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $18,480.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, this one falls in the most expensive quartile for the lowest-income families. That does not mean it should be ruled out. It means you need to request the financial aid letter before deciding.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Scholarships, Aid, and Loans: Keep the Categories Separate
At this college, 58 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received aid that does not have to be repaid—a grant or scholarship. Among those who received it, the annual average was $11,197. Compared with its peers, it falls in the quartile where grants and scholarships reach fewer students. Separately, 42 out of every 100 received a federal Pell Grant, the aid for low-income students.
Here is something that confuses many families when the financial aid letter arrives: the percentage and the average are not multiplied by each other. One tells you how many received aid; the other tells you how much those who received it got. They answer two different questions.
Regarding loans: 41 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan, with an average of $7,350 among those who borrowed. This figure falls in the middle of the range compared with its peers. And here is a hard truth I would rather tell you directly: that percentage describes other families, not yours. It does not include Parent PLUS loans signed by parents, debt from banks, or credit cards, and it is not the cumulative debt with which a student graduates after several years. The amount your child would need to borrow comes only from your child’s own financial aid letter. Wait for it before ruling out the school or committing to it.
The institution also reports that an installment tuition payment plan is available as a mechanism for managing the cost.
Housing, Athletics, Course Modality, and Support
The Evergreen State College does have institution-controlled housing, although not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there. It also offers meal plans with a fixed number of meals per week in its largest plan. Its reported maximum housing capacity is 520 students. The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed; request the annual rate, the application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list in writing.
In athletics, the institution competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NAIA, not the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball and cross-country or track and field. If your child is interested in competing, that membership belongs to the school; it is not a promise to your child. Write directly to the coach to ask whether there is an opening, in which division they compete, and whether that sport awards scholarships.
Regarding ROTC: the institution did not mark any opportunity in its most recent report, unlike 926 of the 1,786 four-year schools in this guide that did. This does not prove that there is no pathway near the campus, only that none was reported in this field. If it is important to your family, ask directly before ruling it out.
Regarding distance education: it is offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 17 took their entire course load remotely, and 83 took at least one in-person class. The institution also reports having at least one complete program that can be taken remotely, although the data do not confirm whether that program is specifically at the undergraduate or graduate level—it must be confirmed by field of study.
The library operates with hired staff and exceeded the government’s reported spending threshold of $100,000; it has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. Reported supports include combined academic and career counseling, employment services, on-campus child care, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a point of contact for service members and their families, a veterans’ student organization, and a services page for people with disabilities. The fact that these services are reported says nothing about their quality or effectiveness—ask about that directly when you arrive.
Do Those Who Enroll Stay? Do Those Who Stay Graduate?
For me, this is the most important section of the entire article, because this is where cost and effort turn into an outcome.
Of the cohort of first-time, full-time students who entered in 2022, 68 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. Compared with its 519 peers, it ranks near the bottom: at least seven out of ten similar schools retained a larger share of their cohort. Not being counted as retained does not mean that someone gave up—they may have transferred, paused their studies, or changed paths for any reason. The data do not explain why.
Now, graduation. Of the 505 first-time, full-time students who entered a bachelor’s-degree program in 2017, 220 graduated from this same school six years later. That is 44 out of every 100. At the four-year mark, the figure falls to 34 out of every 100. Compared with its 518 peers, it ranks below the group’s midpoint.
To put it plainly: after six years, practically half of that cohort had earned a degree from here, and the other half had not. The report counts outcomes, not the reasons behind each individual story. Before deciding, ask what concrete support the school offers to help students finish on time, and how long the specific program that interests your child takes on average.
There is a broader eight-year measure that combines first-time students with those who arrived with previous college experience, both full-time and part-time: of a cohort of 1,593 students who entered in 2015-2016, 57 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the August 2023 reporting date. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was nearly identical: 58 out of every 100. But within that same cohort, the subcohort that began as first-time, full-time students—that is, the most traditional path—stood at only 43 out of every 100, fourteen points below the broader count.
The rest of the story is intentionally incomplete: 17 out of every 100 had unknown enrollment status at the reporting date, meaning that the report could not determine whether they were still enrolled somewhere. Unknown does not mean that they dropped out.
What These Numbers Ask of You, Your Child, and the College
Your child’s responsibility is to study, explore, choose a field, and take responsibility for completing the application on time. Your responsibility is to understand the family’s finances, help with major decisions, and request in writing what the official report cannot give you: the actual financial aid letter, the AP credit evaluation, housing availability, and the exact curriculum for the program that interests your child. The college’s responsibility is to admit students, offer aid, and answer your direct questions. Do not confuse those three responsibilities.
What you have read here is one piece of the map: what this college is, how easy it is to enter, what it truly costs, and how likely it is, according to official data, that a student will make it to graduation. It is a solid, verifiable, and necessary piece. But it is only one piece.
Combine it with what your child wants to study and with what your child has built so far. From that combination, and not from a single figure, a real plan emerges.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reports from the United States Department of Education, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated for each data point. Best College Aid does not represent The Evergreen State College or any government agency; this article is provided for informational purposes to help families understand public data.