Colleges in Washington
52 colleges in Washington that award bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates: 38 public and 14 private. 29 of them, mostly state colleges, award bachelor's degrees in fewer than a quarter of their undergraduate awards, and 1 award a substantial mix of both. Among colleges where most degrees awarded are bachelor's, the lowest average net price is at University of Washington-Tacoma Campus ($10,163 a year after grants). Numbers are averages for students receiving federal aid; open a school to see what a family at your income pays.
| College | City | Type | Undergrads | Acceptance | Avg. net price | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue College | Bellevue | PublicMostly 2-year · 16% bachelor's | 7,364 | — | $11,430 | 36% | $56,310 |
| Bellingham Technical College | Bellingham | PublicMostly 2-year · 2% bachelor's | 1,733 | — | $5,997 | 42% | $49,748 |
| Big Bend Community College | Moses Lake | PublicMostly 2-year · 3% bachelor's | 1,272 | — | $12,210 | 42% | $43,814 |
| Cascadia College | Bothell | PublicMostly 2-year · 3% bachelor's | 1,032 | — | $12,281 | 32% | $54,133 |
| Central Washington University | Ellensburg | Public | 7,833 | 91% | $18,476 | 54% | $61,580 |
| Centralia College | Centralia | PublicMostly 2-year · 8% bachelor's | 1,552 | — | $9,862 | 42% | $43,140 |
| City University of Seattle | Seattle | Private | 1,137 | — | — | — | $69,460 |
| Clark College | Vancouver | PublicMostly 2-year · 5% bachelor's | 4,945 | — | $11,465 | 39% | $42,356 |
| Clover Park Technical College | Lakewood | PublicMostly 2-year · 2% bachelor's | 2,636 | — | $9,864 | 43% | $41,787 |
| Columbia Basin College | Pasco | PublicMostly 2-year · 10% bachelor's | 4,640 | — | $8,317 | 33% | $46,680 |
| Eastern Washington University | Cheney | Public | 6,222 | 91% | $13,886 | 43% | $57,897 |
| Edmonds College | Lynnwood | PublicMostly 2-year · 1% bachelor's | 3,656 | — | $11,010 | 29% | $48,144 |
| Faith International University | Tacoma | Private | 276 | — | $22,662 | 25% | $51,006 |
| Gonzaga University | Spokane | Private | 5,198 | 82% | $35,119 | 86% | $78,892 |
| Grays Harbor College | Aberdeen | PublicMostly 2-year · 4% bachelor's | 1,010 | — | $4,783 | 39% | $40,865 |
| Green River College | Auburn | PublicMostly 2-year · 11% bachelor's | 4,965 | — | $13,803 | 39% | $50,712 |
| Heritage University | Toppenish | Private | 812 | — | $14,598 | 54% | $49,416 |
| Highline College | Des Moines | PublicMostly 2-year · 8% bachelor's | 3,838 | — | $9,879 | 35% | $47,869 |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland | PublicMostly 2-year · 11% bachelor's | 2,406 | — | $6,817 | 37% | $50,669 |
| Lower Columbia College | Longview | PublicMostly 2-year · 1% bachelor's | 1,932 | — | $7,630 | 23% | $40,691 |
| North Seattle College | Seattle | PublicMostly 2-year · 10% bachelor's | 3,074 | — | $10,740 | 33% | $47,728 |
| Northwest Indian College | Bellingham | PublicBachelor's & associate · 27% bachelor's | 629 | — | $3,136 | 18% | $35,447 |
| Northwest University | Kirkland | Private | 645 | 83% | $22,288 | 71% | $54,914 |
| Olympic College | Bremerton | PublicMostly 2-year · 4% bachelor's | 3,826 | — | $7,172 | 31% | $43,169 |
| Pacific Lutheran University | Tacoma | Private | 2,401 | 78% | $19,589 | 69% | $66,990 |
| Peninsula College | Port Angeles | PublicMostly 2-year · 2% bachelor's | 1,263 | — | $9,246 | 37% | $37,078 |
| Pierce College District | Lakewood | PublicMostly 2-year · 4% bachelor's | 5,313 | — | $10,222 | 31% | $47,532 |
| Renton Technical College | Renton | PublicMostly 2-year · 2% bachelor's | 1,783 | — | $8,296 | 46% | $49,782 |
| Saint Martin's University | Lacey | Private | 1,158 | 90% | $28,119 | 52% | $62,092 |
| Seattle Central College | Seattle | PublicMostly 2-year · 6% bachelor's | 3,953 | — | $8,819 | 32% | $43,307 |
| Seattle Pacific University | Seattle | Private | 1,762 | 83% | $24,488 | 62% | $64,506 |
| Seattle University | Seattle | Private | 4,062 | 77% | $34,662 | 76% | $75,272 |
| Skagit Valley College | Mount Vernon | PublicMostly 2-year · 3% bachelor's | 2,477 | — | $6,064 | 36% | $43,505 |
| South Seattle College | Seattle | PublicMostly 2-year · 2% bachelor's | 1,616 | — | $6,004 | 31% | $44,486 |
| Spokane Community College | Spokane | PublicMostly 2-year · 1% bachelor's | 4,533 | — | $5,473 | 33% | $41,984 |
| Spokane Falls Community College | Spokane | PublicMostly 2-year · 3% bachelor's | 3,199 | — | $7,409 | 32% | $38,955 |
| Tacoma Community College | Tacoma | PublicMostly 2-year · 2% bachelor's | 4,668 | — | $8,376 | 32% | $47,168 |
| The Evergreen State College | Olympia | Public | 2,160 | 96% | $24,319 | 41% | $45,320 |
| University of Puget Sound | Tacoma | Private | 1,594 | 72% | $38,394 | 68% | $69,594 |
| University of Washington-Bothell Campus | Bothell | Public | 5,457 | 91% | $12,319 | 65% | $78,466 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | Seattle | Public | 31,942 | 39% | $14,091 | 85% | $78,466 |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | Tacoma | Public | 4,185 | 83% | $10,163 | 63% | $78,466 |
| Walla Walla Community College | Walla Walla | PublicMostly 2-year · 4% bachelor's | 2,418 | — | $9,406 | 38% | $43,526 |
| Walla Walla University | College Place | Private | 1,252 | — | $23,329 | 60% | $61,885 |
| Washington State University | Pullman | Public | 21,099 | 87% | $14,971 | 61% | $68,905 |
| Wenatchee Valley College | Wenatchee | PublicMostly 2-year · 5% bachelor's | 1,759 | — | $9,722 | 43% | $41,127 |
| Western Washington University | Bellingham | Public | 13,544 | 93% | $21,193 | 65% | $62,569 |
| Whatcom Community College | Bellingham | PublicMostly 2-year · 3% bachelor's | 2,378 | — | $11,795 | 36% | $44,092 |
| Whitman College | Walla Walla | Private | 1,531 | 38% | $33,313 | 81% | $67,589 |
| Whitworth University | Spokane | Private | 1,858 | 90% | $26,534 | 71% | $58,561 |
| Whitworth University-Adult Degree Programs | Spokane | Private | 145 | 29% | — | — | $58,561 |
| Yakima Valley College | Yakima | PublicMostly 2-year · 7% bachelor's | 2,770 | — | $11,843 | 29% | $43,499 |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, latest reported year. Graduation within 6 years; earnings are the median 10 years after starting college.
Best value in Washington for your income
The Washington colleges that pay back fastest for a family at your income: what it costs to finish after grants, set against how much more former students earn than high school graduates in Washington. Pick your income.
| # | College | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Earnings, 10 yrs | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington-Tacoma CampusPublic, in-state price | $6,748 | $28,409 | $78,466 | under 1 |
| 2 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusPublic, in-state price | $8,110 | $33,819 | $78,466 | under 1 |
| 3 | University of Washington-Bothell CampusPublic, in-state price | $8,415 | $36,269 | $78,466 | under 1 |
| 4 | Washington State UniversityPublic, in-state price | $11,519 | $50,338 | $68,905 | 1.8 |
| 5 | Pacific Lutheran UniversityPrivate | $15,756 | $67,751 | $66,990 | 2.5 |
| 6 | Gonzaga UniversityPrivate | $25,106 | $103,437 | $78,892 | 2.7 |
| 7 | Eastern Washington UniversityPublic, in-state price | $12,292 | $54,822 | $57,897 | 3.1 |
| 8 | Seattle UniversityPrivate | $26,977 | $111,145 | $75,272 | 3.2 |
| 9 | Central Washington UniversityPublic, in-state price | $16,022 | $70,977 | $61,580 | 3.3 |
| 10 | Whitman CollegePrivate | $21,915 | $91,605 | $67,589 | 3.3 |
Colleges where most degrees awarded are bachelor's, ranked by years of earnings gain needed to repay the cost to finish at this income. Cost to finish = net price after grants × the average years graduates took (IPEDS). Earnings gain = former students' median earnings 10 years after starting (College Scorecard) minus $40,219 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in Washington (Census ACS 2020-2024). Before taxes, interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
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