My daughter is starting her first quarter as a Running Start student. This has been the MOST frustrating experience ever. No one communicates properly. I have questions and tried calling only to get a voicemail and no return call over 24 hours later. I have tried emailing cashiering, the running start program and her advisor and getting NO WHERE. Literally, no one is willing to truly help us. If this is what it's going to be like, we will gladly go elsewhere. I hope to be able to update my comment and say that someone finally reached out to us. We will see. read more

The Pierce College Library has so many resources available to students. There are computers, scanners, and printers that print in black and white and color. Each quarter students are given 10.00 to use the printer. There are a lot of places where you can study individually, as a group in a quiet area. They even have places where you can study and eat at the same time. The flex zone is a great place to study with a group. There is free wifi throughout the library. read more

I had to file a formal complaint against Pierce College because they claimed I went to their college during years I did not attend. I sent in medical history and signed statements as well their required paperwork explaining such. The weird thing is the classes are repeating classes and then the person claiming to be me drops out shortly after and then does it all over again repeatedly for classes I've already completed elsewhere years before. Why would I take the same classes over and over and then never complete them when I try to explain this to the woman that none of it made any sense she didn't care to hear it. Because of this I was dropped from my current college that I was almost done held a 4.0 I lost all of my financial aid got kicked out of my program because of this college! It doesn't matter that I sent in what was required, my medical history showing that I had just had a major surgery and the signed statement from the person who was caring for me and my son at the time..I didn't have a car and we didn't even live in the same town. My address is wrong as well as other information. read more

DO NOT RECOMMEND! The front desk staff are clueless,THEIR PHONE SYSTEM IS ALWAYS DOWN! In the past when I attended math courses online the instructor FAILED me multiple times. He was never available to help me and had no idea how to help me navigate Canvas. Because of him I failed that class and GOT BLAMED FOR IT, they also never took my complaint about his negligence towards me into consideration! WORST COLLEGE I EVER ATTENDED! DONT GO HERE read more

Current student here , they are no help especially when you need help online with registration, financial aid, picking out classes that suit you. They do not help online and you will be sitting in zoom rooms waiting for hours for help. pierce do better cause there has never been more trouble with a school then there has been with pierce read more

Very disappointed. It was great and now it's just bad. The workers don't care at all. You will constantly going to call or talk to them in person to remind them to pls Takecare of the problems. It will never be done at all.. trust me, I been bothering them for 3 mos. And I never heard anything back to anyone. read more

The Writing Center and the Library is a great resource if you need someone to go over an English assignment, specifically, I went in to get advice about an analyzing essay I had in English and the person I talked to was very nice and respectful! They were very patient while reading my paper, and gave me reasonable feedback that helped me make me understand what I can do better on my next essay! I also visited the library were I went to the ask desk to ask about some of the resources I can use during this quarter or next and they gave me a lot of helpful information. Such as loaning electronics, such as computers, chargers, calculators, and hot spots. They also showed me how I can checkout any of these items, including books! By signing a paper online with a QR code, and getting my student ID. They also showed me that I can print in the library and how I can do it with the directions on each other computers in the library! So overall, my experience in the Writing Center and the Library have been a wonderful experience and I really recommend stopping by these resources if you have any questions or if you want advice on a paper during your time at Pierce! read more

As a parent, I am less than impressed. I went to Pierce over 20 years ago and felt it was a good choice at the time. I was happy when my daughter decided to save some money and live at home one year and attend CC before transferring to a 4 year. She played a sport in which the coach was less than lackluster. There is 1-2 returning players for next year, that should tell you something. The lack of communication and organization at the collegiate level was unbelievable. There was little to no assistance with registration or academic advising from the person who was supposed to help freshman athletes (who she was told she had to use instead of a regular academic advisor). She would email him 3-4 times a week to get what she needed to register and leave messages and he wouldn't even have the courtesy to respond. He also acts as the head baseball coach and it is very clear that is his real priority. Other teammates relayed the same experience. It is crazy to me that this man is being paid to help advise these young students yet baseball is his priority. My daughter has told me horror stories of things her professors have said in the classroom. Crazy ridiculous things such as the professor saying she wishes Trump would be assassinated. First, I don't care what your political affiliation is, to say you wish someone would be killed is evil. Not to mention, Pierce is a PUBLIC school paid for with PUBLIC funds. Keep your political views to yourself and TEACH instead of trying to indoctrinate. Lastly, availability for classes for a freshman is pretty much non existent. I cannot tell you how frustrated that has been. Her counting down the seconds to register, going online to register for classes to find they are all already filled. Very limited selection of classes. We are not paying money for her to take underwater basket weaving because that is all that is left by the time it is her turn to register. i am so glad she is going to a 4 year next year. I will not ever recommend Pierce to other parents or people I know. Overall, a very disappointing experience. read more

My rating is based of the use of the online Library resources. It has helped me so far with papers that I had to write and trying to find peer reviewed resources along with assistance with citating those resources. read more

This is a good college, I have had no trouble, people at the admins office was very helpful, the security people was great too when I needed to get parking permit. Classes have good schedules, all kinds of options, morning, mid day, evening and even online classes. Library seems to have good resources, you can use computers and print stuff there too. There is plenty of parking and always lots of activity even at night, so its safe. I have no complains. Gotta do what we gotta do to get the job we love. read more

I did one year of running start here (my senior year of high school). I wanted to get out of high school, so compared to that, it was great. Anything was. The campus is nice. It's surrounded by trees which makes it pretty. It's really small, which is nice because it's easy to navigate. However, it got old after awhile. Classes. There are such a little amount of classes, it's insane. I got lucky on mine. I had a wack professor my first quarter. So PLEASE USE RATE MY PROFESSOR. She harassed students who didn't agree with her political beliefs. Most of my classes have been alright. Most professors are pretty boring there. Almost useless at times. But they get the job done. Advisors are great there, pretty helpful. Admin is nice as well. Something I really didn't like was that it was full of other high school students. I didn't might it too much at times because I was one myself. But for those who are a bit older, you might feel out of place. You'll be around immature high school kids in most of your classes. Running start students seem to be the bigger focus it seems. I don't know why. The majority are high school students there. Overall, it's an alright school. But I would recommend going to a different campus or just a different college if you can. The lack of variety of classes and so many hs students makes it worth choosing elsewhere. But if you must go here, it's a fine school. read more

Pierce College has the goal of indoctrinating the ideology of liberalism and socialism into the brains every student they can. I attended the Pierce College, Puyallup Campus using the 911 GI Bill. Halfway through my AS degree, I took a class in which I was targeted and severely harassed for my political views. My political views fall fairly close to the center of the spectrum. Take my advice. Avoid Pierce College like the plague! It will be a frustrating and possibly humiliating experience for you! If you are a white male and not gay, you will be looked down upon and not valued. Veterans are treated like dirt at Pierce College! read more

Honestly I really enjoyed majority of my time here. The classes are what you make out of it some students really care about learning others just want the answers. Puyallup is 70% running start students which I was fine with since I also was. I highly recommend using rate your professors so you can get the best professor as some are better than others by far. The advisors are mainly only willing to meet over zoom or phone call so if you need help it's best to go to a fellow student. The school is very liberal but the teachers I've had try to focus on academics and leave the politics out. read more

Was a mistake going here that was for sure! I decided on Pierce College as its in Puyallup and close to home, and the course I went with (Medical Billing) I had some interest in. But the first semester there, I found out the teacher had very little interest in teaching! Basically it was a teach yourself program, or other students helping those that needed help- what a joke! Hell High School teachers cared more and did more then this teacher did! If I end up going back to school for something- I guarantee IT WILL NOT be to Pierce College! You would be better off doing the course on the computer then coming here! read more

good luck starting this college. the main desk may answer your call but when you're redirected no one answers. i did manage to get a call back 1 time but they did not know how to navigate through their website. I then decided to go straight to the campus for help. I was in search of a placement test which pierce college requires for the class I wanted to attend. I was told they do not offer any placement tests and referred me to another college. that college also did not offer a placement test. they refuse to believe that their website is faulty and does not provide a way to access a placement test. Pierce college is apparently 1 of the "top 10 colleges" of at least all the doors have that bs all over them. I would not recommend this college to anyone. How can I have the slightest bit of confidence in a college that wont help me to even get started. I challenge whoever runs this college to try and sign up for a class with no college background and please let me know how it went. read more

This school is incompetent. My daughter was awarded financial aid, attended her first qtr with no problems, registered for her 2nd qtr, for which her financial aid was already awarded. She was dropped abruptly from her classes for non payment. Talked to financial aid who said they would pass the problem on to a supervisor. No word, we go back in and are given a paper telling us we needed to produce my husband' w-2's along with other paperwork. I gathered it together but on closer inspection realized the document she handed me-- which had income tax info including deductions, wages and other personally identifiable information, including a name-- was NOT my daughter's!! The information was for another student! So we went back, and it turned out my daughter only needed one piece of paper signed. At this point my daughter's classes were full, she had to take classes at 2 different campuses, we had to pay $791 for a tuition installment plan because of the financial aid issue, and if that isn't enough-- my daughter asked a teacher to allow her in and was told if the financial aid office emailed her she would allow my daughter in so she would not have to attend 2 different campuses. THEY REFUSED! Add to that the fact they still haven't processed her financial aid and that's enough for me. I HAD 3 kids attending Pierce College, however all are heading to a different, more competent school. I get making mistakes but at least correct your mistake Pierce. read more

I have many friends who went to Pierce College and said it was like most other Jr. Colleges- an extension of high school. There's not much to be said for their variety of courses and quality of instructors. If you need to head to a community college, check out other places and compare. Mediocrity should be a crime these days. read more

Overall I'm pretty unsatisfied with my experience at Pierce College so far. I attend online courses with them. Pierce College utilizes Canvas for their online course material. I like that I can work flexibly in between the other tasks in my life and I like that the school compared to others, is pretty affordable... That said, the financial aid department is nightmarish. As a student who relies on financial aid, it is absolutely IMPERITVE that I am able to access loans. I have had to fight with the financial aid department tooth and nail to try and get any information about when my loans may be released or processed every single quarter without fail. It is very concerning that my account shows "past due" while I am awaiting the financial aid department to process loans. This extreme lag coupled with a lack of communication certainly makes the experience less than pleasant. Aside from the funding issue, it seems a lot of the online professors are newly transitioning into that format because of COVID, so some of the coursework is really disorganized. So, if you're looking for a cheap college this is it. But also be aware that you're getting even less than you pay for. read more

I hate doing reviews prior to me leaving, but I am in my last quarter so who cares... I am enrolled in the CNE (computer network engineer) at pierce Puyallup. The program is taught primarily by 3 teachers and I will try to keep gender and name out of it to keep ambiguity. But will rank them by number 1 being the best and 3 the worst. Teach 1 - Currently employed as a network engineer. I really like the teaching style of this teacher. There is a lack of focus and organization, but the classes are taught to help further our real life knowledge and not just information out of a book. If this teacher ever has more time, classes will be much better. (tough keeping ambiguity) Teach 2 - Obviously really smart, but teaches directly out of the book. Attendance is not mandatory so if you are busy its nice to be able to miss class from time to time, but you quickly discover there is no need to go to class at all. You could save your money and just buy the books and get the same information Teach 3 - I dont want to speak ill, but just oblivious. Was a programmer years ago and it shows. You can see the rust from the first class to the last. Plus super flighty, so it is tough to really focus in that class. In addition there are times when this teacher will get stuck on something and try to work it out in class and it becomes extremely awkward and uncomfortable. Good: - Some great books and great opportunities presented in this program - Great classes; CCNA, CISSP, A+, Server 2012 - great business\humanities class - great for people who work. Very flexible schedules and online options Cons: - When you take classes for certs it does not end with taking the cert test - Need clearer direction - Need some fresh teachers - No programming classes - poorly taught online classes (required but not computer related) Overall: There was one class that was amazing and that was the business\humanities class. Truth be told I would suggest you go to this school so you can take this class alone. Other than that 3 really good things happen with this program. 1. You get a degree, nothing amazing a certification and an AS. Both can help in the interview process. 3. Great networking opportunities. My best guess is the AS mixed with some certs and maybe some experience will get anyone a pretty good job. The biggest bummer is taking classes and training towards getting a certification in whatever class and not ending with a certification, even though you do all the same work. There are schools (even community colleges), that end classes with certifications. I would suggest one of those schools. Long story finally summed up. Not a terrible school, much cheaper than ITT tech, with probably similar level of education. If you are looking for that jump start this could help. Without this school I doubt I would have the job I have today, but I foresee a lot of people leaving this school with a little debt and not much more. read more

I love Pierce, and especially this campus in Puyallup. Everything is compact, yet the scenery is great with all the trees! It's relaxing! The library is small but the librarians are very helpful! And I love the Writing Center that they have! Most staff and teachers I encountered are very friendly and I enjoy my time at this place! read more

Everyone who works in the admin building at this school is so uptight and rude and just want your money. They don't care about students whatsoever. The bookstore is ridiculous! I went in at the end of this quarter to return my rented book (I already paid $100 non refundable to rent, original cost was $221) and it happened to be sprinkling that day outside. My class was in the LRC, so I just had about 50 meters walk to the book store, not bad. When I got inside and attempted to return my book, they tried very hard to charge me for water damage! Saying the whole book was "soaked" and "damp" and that it was non returnable and they had to charge me $221 on top of what I already paid at the beginning of the quarter. Mind you, when I rented this book it was already in horrible condition. The paperback cover was starting to curl and come undone. I remember asking them if I would have any issues when I came back in 3 months to return, they said no. Well, long behold here I am with them trying to take my money. The book was not water damaged AT ALL & it was in the exact same condition as when I rented it. I asked to speak with the manager (I think her name is Nadel or something) and I told her straight up "I refuse to pay for this! This isn't water damaged at all! These pages are not damp and everything in the book is readable and functional. I'm not paying for this because you want my money" she immediately yelled at me across the counter and was leaning forward into my face "Hey! When you want something from me, don't jump down my throat! Why don't you just relax" I'm not going to relax if you're trying to charge me $221 for a book I didn't damage because a) you employees are too lazy to do a check before you rent the book and b) you're a money grubbing whore! YOU SHOULD BE TRYING TO HELP STUDENTS NOT SCREW THEM FOR THEIR MONEY! I asked for her supervisors number and called her and she was appalled. I know the situation wasn't my fault and was wrong because another student who was standing by witnessed the whole encounter and also asked for the supervisors number. Then all of a sudden Nadel wanted to be "nice". I hope she loses her job. What a rude woman. read more

I attended piece college for a year and a half, I quickly felt ashamed to go, working hard to pay for these classes taught by very liberal narrow minded teachers made me quit, I didn't want to but I did. Politics should be kept out of schools completely. It felt more like a liberal brain wash and if you felt otherwise even your professors would ridicule your way of thinking. I could no longer pay them a cent more. This was not at just the Puyallup location but the Lakewood location as well. Save your money and time, focus on finding a school that keeps politics out of learning. read more

Best community college ever! Beautiful campus, stimulating classes, accessible, affordable and very caring faculty!

Admissions is a joke. The online application was easy enough but Emily Sutter in Admissions is totally useless and will not process your application if you "bother her" with a question. read more

Great college to attend; staff and professors are really nice and eager to help one succeed at the campus.

I came here as a running start student. I got my AA here and transferred to UW-Seattle. I loved my time here a lot. Of course I had amazing teachers and not so amazing teachers, but a majority of the faculty were awesome. I felt the campus had a very good environment for learning and studying. Also, the campus is beautiful being nested in the woods. read more

The reason they lost a start was because of some class availability and my pre-calc math teachers. I graduated March 14 with my direct transfer degree. The first year I was there I literally took any class I could get that would apply to my degree. The longer you are a student the early you can register for classes. The downfall is if you want to take certain courses you need pre reqs that have pre reqs and cannot take them. Another thing I don't like is that most of the classes are Mon-Fri or Mon-Thurs. I taught myself pre calc and still don't know how to do it. I got a 3.7 in pre calc1 and it was basically only math 98 stuff,. Pre Calc 2 I managed to skate by with a 2.7 and I am still not convinced the teacher didn't grad on a curve. The good is that I LOVED the school overall and all my other teachers. I had an amazing eng 101 class (Lori Polard-Johnson) and some great humanities (Corina Wycoff and Shaphan Lavinghouse). I also like the campus I prefer the Puyallup. They also have a AMAZING child care center. I also love all the activities the school throws like comedy night, family movie night, ect. My husband adviser worked with him more than mine does with me. But I don't want and didn't need the help. If you have a bad adviser switch. This school has been great to us the past two years and I am so excited to continue my educations at UWT. Yippee! read more

The campus itself is wonderful. Very pretty and the layout is easy to understand. This is my third year of community college and I'm finishing up my first quarter here at Pierce. All in all, I unfortunately have to say signing up for classes here is a NIGHTMARE. They really only care about the high school students, and they are given priority. The majority of the campus is high school students, so I never get the classes I need. This upcoming quarter I only need ONE class, and all the options have a waitlist of 10 or more. All filled with students under the age of 18. It's frustrating that college students are not made a priority. So now, I have to scramble and move to a different campus. I refuse to have to take yet another quarter off. Despite this, the teachers are alright. I've had better teachers but at least they get the job done! Great campus, decent teachers, but major changes need to be made in regards to registration. read more

I wish I could give 0 stars. It was huge mistake starting college here. Campus is pretty nice and all, it's the majority staff here that are absolutely terrible. All of them could honestly care less about their students. A few of them don't even teach, they just do the easy way out and play a few YouTube videos about the material. I couldn't get any help from any professor, I've had several professors here that don't always respond to emails! What if I have some family emergency happening and I can't make it to class? Like at least work with me so I can stay posted for whatever happened in class especially if your email is in your own syllabus. My assigned advisor Artuto Laris, WORST ADVISOR EVER could care even less. It literally takes him like a month, almost two months to respond to several voicemails and emails I left him, just to get a stupid Registration access code so I can just ENROLL in any classes quarter by quarter. I end up getting it super later to the point where most of the classes are full and I end up only being to squeeze in one class for a quarter. Like wth? I could go on and on about how much of a joke this school is. There's better colleges out there, if you actually care about your education. Attend somewhere else. read more

Would not recommend this college to anyone. They lie, cheat, and steal your money. No one seems to know what's going on there, very poor staff and customer service. Don't plan on ever getting a call back. NO ONE IS HELPFUL AT PIERCE COLLEGE! Make sure you document EVERYTHING, such as who you spoke with, because they'll tell you one thing and then say they never said that. Never knew I had to hire an attorney to get an education. Now I owe money on classes I didn't take and loans I never cashed. read more

This is strictly based on the admin side of the school. I do not see why it is now taking OVER 4 months for me to receive my diploma and certificate. No one will respond when I email inquiring about it. I also have a second-degree application which has gone unreviewed at this point for coursework completed during summer quarter. No help, no communication. Utterly frustrating as I am going to pay a pretty penny for these degrees that I have no proof of. read more

My daughter did running start with the majority of her classes at Pierce. This kid had a super bright future. She came from the gifted program and excelled in her IB courses at high school. College, even though she is a minor, is very different. Parents are completely left out of the loop. We can't speak to the "professors" on their behalf and the college doesn't give you access to grades or your child's progress. The high school is also out of the loop and can't help you. My daughter had two instances with two different classes that totally messed up her planned path. The first one was a day where we had a spontaneous snowstorm. My daughter was 3 minutes late to class and the professor locked the door. She wasn't allowed in even though the professor,Deb, decided to hold a required test that day. Everyone who wasn't on time failed the full course! 80% of the students failed. The school was no help. They let these heavy handed professors do as they please. I feel they are jealous of their own shortcomings and are trying to stifle kids who are destined to do better than them. The second instance was a class that my daughter lived with a professor that she thought was too lenient, but great. This professor failed to complete my daughters online grading in time. Her transcript shows that this class is incomplete, but she received a four in it. She had to contact the professor multiple times within a month to get it fixed. In the meantime the incomplete transcript was the one mailed in with her college applications. She will not get accepted since this was a required course. She is begging them to look at her revised transcript, but so far we haven't been lucky with that. It is so frustrating for me, as a parent to not have any control over this. Someone should be hired to advocate for these students. Pierce is a waste of time and money. Parents, please don't fall for their promises at open house. Your student will not get first pick of classes and may end up driving to Fort Steilacoom to meet requirements and they will definitely take classes that they don't need or want. The tuition is reasonable, but the required books often aren't. I wish we never signed up for this program and I definitely won't recommend Pierce college to anyone. read more

Im looking to go to Pierce College for the dental hygiene program! However I did some research trying to find their accreditation and seems they no longer are accredited. The last accreditation was in 2008. Has any one had any or heard any issues about this? The school is perfect location and price but I just don't want to waste my time. read more

As far as starting out, getting pre reqs done, its courses are fine. As far as getting any of the staff there to help you, its the absolute worst. I've been going here for a few years, and as any college, some instructors are bad, some are amazing, and classes vary in the load and intensity of work. I love the puyallup campus layout and its atmosphere is just more comfortable than ft. steilacoom's. But for some reason, I always, without fail, have a problem getting my financial aid, or meeting an advisor or getting registered. I never, ever have gotten a straight honest answer from anyone on the puyallup campus. The staff, especially the ones in the advising office, are awful. Worst customer service I have seen yet. If you for any reason, have to go in to register or ask questions, go to the ft. steilacoom campus. Although I've had problems there too, they're much friendlier and are truly trying to help. I know for a fact I'm not the only person who has gotten the run around with these people. I'm truly upset. Also, but not suprising, the parking is horrible. read more

I have attended 1 semester at Pierce. It will be my last. Non-existent administrative support and poor execution of an online program.

It is a great school! Easy enrollment for my kids and they love their teachers and the support staff. Also has a location in Lakewood. The puyallup location is definitely the one to be at though. Smaller and more visually appealing. Receiving student aid and loans was a cinch. read more

luv the school, but if you wanna graduate, you need to apply 4 or so months in ADVANCE....i applyed in NOVEMBER and still havent heard if im gonna graduate in june....they have lots of fun events...and good food in the caffeteria....some of the teachers suck but thats my opinion. read more

The best part about Jr College is that it is an extension of high school. The difference is that you will take away from a class only as much as you personally contribute. If you don't read the material, research the subject a little on your own, do the practice work, make an outline of the chapter for review, then you are wasting your own time, money, and opportunities. Unlike high school, the instructors are not there to baby sit you. Fortunately the college has a policy to put individuals "on notice" who choose not to perform. As for getting the most education for your money, Yep, this is a great direction to follow. The class sizes are manageable (4-yr average class size is 100 per instructor) and classes are encouraged to participate. You become a group and learn as a group. Teachers cannot force their students to be above mediocrity, but they can encourage their students to go above and beyond settling for average. Your learning and educational experience are really your own to control. read more