For 60 years, taxpayer investment in Washtenaw Community College has strengthened our workforce, fueled our economy and expanded opportunity across our community.
Since 1966, WCC has opened doors to Washtenaw County residents to learn, grow and
build brighter futures.
WCC’s impact is everywhere — in the nurses who care for us, the officers who protect us, the teachers who educate our children, the skilled trades and manufacturing professionals who build and power our region, and the cybersecurity specialists who safeguard our digital world.
You know them. You count on them.
WCC is not just a college. It is the county’s superpower.
Through times of profound change, from economic recessions and civil rights movements to global pandemics and the emergence of artificial intelligence, WCC has remained true to its mission: improving lives through high-quality, accessible and affordable education.
Thank you for believing in the power of education and helping make six decades of student success and community impact possible.
Check out these data points from the last academic year and see for yourself how your continued support of Washtenaw Community College has benefitted the communities we live in!
AFFORDABILITY
Since 1966, WCC’s tuition rate for in-district students has kept pace with the overall rate of inflation while other standard expenses have risen dramatically over the same period.
Tuition and fees at Washtenaw Community College remain highly affordable, with total student costs consistently ranking in the lowest
quartile of Michigan community colleges.
RELATED: Tuition Savings Calculator
Last year, the WCC Board of Trustees unanimously approved a tuition freeze at $99 per credit for on-campus courses and $112 per credit for distance learning courses for in-district students.
Over the past 10 years, in-district, on-campus tuition has increased just $5 per credit (4.2%) and distance learning $6 per credit (5.6%). The rate of inflation over the same time period is roughly 39%.
WCC’s annual cost of attendance of $2,970 for a full-time class load is a fraction of the cost students pay on average at the state’s four-year public and private universities, according to data from the National Center for Educational Statistics.
TOP-RATED COMMUNITY COLLEGE
WCC was recently recognized by the State of Michigan for having the highest student completion rate of all community colleges across the state. Other third-party honors:
- Niche No. 1 Community College in Michigan
- Center of Excellence in Nursing Education
- National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense
- U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Ambassador
- Gold-Level Veteran-Friendly School
SUCCESS GUARANTEE
WCC graduates are ready to join the workforce or transfer to a four-year institution.
It’s a guarantee!
In short, a WCC Board of Trustees policy states that if a student with a WCC degree isn’t prepared for the next step in their lives — be it entry-level employment or pursuing a bachelor’s degree — they can retake courses tuition-free.
CAREERS LAUNCHED
The first graduates of WCC earned respiratory therapy certificates in 1967. Since then, a total of 59,127 individuals have earned 45,391 associate degrees and 44,384 certificates.
In the last complete academic year, 2,354 certificates were awarded and 1,476 associate degrees were earned.
The college offered 22 educational programs when it first opened. That number has grown to more than 140 since, many programs added at the suggestion of local industry.
Fifty-one different programs are available completely online, which enables working adults flexibility to include education in their work and family responsibilities.
TRANSFER STUDENTS
WCC transfers more students to the University of Michigan than any other college or
university. Over the last 10 years, transfers from WCC to U-M have increased 74% (from 154 to 268).
Over the last five years, 16,761 WCC alumni enrolled in 1,147 different colleges and universities throughout Michigan and the country. While a majority stay close to home (51% to
Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan or Michigan State University),
others attend prestigious universities like Stanford, Harvard and Yale.
EARN WHILE YOU LEARN
By blending classroom instruction with paid, on-the-job training through WCC’s industry
partners, apprenticeship programs prepare students for higher-wage, high-demand careers.
WCC hosts Michigan’s chapter of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME), with its largest cohort yet in 2025, in an 18-month program combining campus classes and hands-on employer work.
The program offers paid on-the-job training and mentoring through industry partners and educational pathways to an associate degree in Mechatronics—Robotics and Automated Systems in less than two years.
LOCAL INDUSTRY INPUT
WCC fuels local and regional growth by training a strong local workforce.
Nearly 250 representatives from a wide range of local businesses are members of WCC advisory boards that ensure the college’s curriculum matches what local businesses need.
MEETING STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE
WCC is built for real lives.
Roughly 40% of students are age 25+ and 72% of them attend classes part-time.
WCC has made adult learners a priority. Flexible online, evening and weekend class options help adult students balance college with work and family responsibilities.
DUAL ENROLLMENT
Along with continually growing its connection to local K-12 school districts, WCC charters Washtenaw Technical Middle College, one of the largest and most successful early middle colleges in the nation.
In addition to WTMC, WCC has partnered in early middle college opportunities in Ypsilanti, Dexter, Plymouth/Canton and Livingston County over the
past decade.
RELATED: Dual enrollment at WCC
In Fall 2025, WCC welcomed a total of 1,665 dual-enrolled students from 79 different high schools. That number accounts for 14.3% of WCC’s enrollment.
FAST-TRACK LEARNING
Last year, community members enrolled in 7,248 training and development courses offered by WCC’s Economic Workforce & Community Development department.
Fast-track job training courses are aligned with industry certification and offer a way to quickly earn the
skills and/or credentials that employers want.
Professional development classes are offered in categories such as data analytics, digital marketing, finance & accounting, human resources and more.
SKILLED TRADES
WCC supported instructor and apprentice training — both in-person and online — for members of five different national trades organizations last year. This includes approximately 6,000 members who attend instructor training on WCC’s campus each summer.
The on-campus summer training programs bring an estimated $23 million in economic impact to the community, in addition to the college’s $524 million estimated overall annual economic impact on the region.
Tags: 60th Anniversary, May 2026, On The Record