students gathered outside on puyallup campus

Who Is Eligible for Running Start?

To be admitted to Pierce College's Running Start Program, a student must:

  • Be a junior or senior.
  • Turn 16 by the start of the first quarter of enrollment and under the age of 21.
  • Students under 16 years of age can participate in Running Start if they have junior or senior high school status.
  • Through Guided Self Placement, students must place into English 101 to qualify for Running Start. To take classes requiring college-level math placement, students must place into college-level math.

Students attending private schools must be evaluated as juniors and seniors by a public high school official and enroll at that school. It is not mandatory that students are attending classes at the public high school. It is possible to have dual enrollment at both a private and public high school for access to the Running Start program.

For important registration deadlines, see the Academic Calendar Page: