City Information
Despite its reputation as a rainy city, Seattle is considered one of the most livable cities in the United States. It is a hi-tech city, with a healthy economy powered by companies headquartered in Seattle such as Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks and Amazon.com, an artistic and cultural city, and a well-educated, liberal city. Seattle has the highest percentage of college graduates o f any major U.S. city. Its population is approximately 73% Caucasian (white), one of the highest percentages of Caucasians for a major American city, and 13% Asian American. The world’s richest man, Bill Gates, resides in Seattle. Seattle, while frequently shrouded in grey clouds and mist, actually has much less precipitation than many other US cities, despite its soggy reputation. Winter temperatures range from 4°-10°C, with very little snow, while summer highs hover between 24°-29°C. Summer days can be very pleasant – sunny and warm. Students attending Highline Community College will fly into Sea-Tac Airport.

School Information
Highline Community College was founded in 1961 and is 15 minutes from Seattle. With a population of approximately 10,000 students and 200 international students from 30 countries but only about 20 students from Hong Kong, Highline is one of the largest institutions of higher education in Washington. Students from Highline Community College have transferred to prestigious universities including: UCLA, NYU, Columbia University, and the University of Washington. In 2003, Central Washington University expanded by building an 84,000 square foot shared higher education center on the Highline campus. There, CWU and Highline students will study side by side. Highline does not require its applicants to take the TOEFL.

Highline also has a high school completion program for students between the ages of 16 and 20. This program known as Running Start, allows younger students to start accumulating university credit faster and to transfer to a university degree program sooner.