More selective than 6% of Washington colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $30,359. College Scorecard.
Higher than 82% of Washington colleges we cover and 69% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 78% of Washington colleges we cover and 75% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Western Washington University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 14,243 applicants, Western Washington University admitted 13,005 and 3,184 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1150–1390 on the SAT or 24–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Western Washington University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Washington residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Western Washington University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Western Washington University took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Washington. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,915 | $57,213 | 2.6 years |
| $30–48k | $14,147 | $62,671 | 2.8 years |
| $48–75k | $17,539 | $77,698 | 3.5 years |
| $75–110k | $24,301 | $107,653 | 4.8 years |
| $110k+ | $27,984 | $123,969 | 5.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (42% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($62,569) minus $40,219 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $22,350 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Western Washington University majors, earnings & careers
Western Washington University offers 97 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 19
- Humanities & Languages · 18
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 17
- Business & Finance · 12
- Engineering · 8
- Arts & Design · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Education · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Communications & Media · 2
Highest-earning majors at Western Washington University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $110,138 | $19,333 |
| Electrical Engineering | $107,131 | $25,500 |
| Nursing | $96,695 | $20,146 |
| Polymer / Plastics Engineering | $92,439 | $21,656 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | $85,314 | $21,425 |
| Accounting | $82,246 | $20,567 |
| Management Information Systems | $81,678 | $22,333 |
| Biochemistry | $77,048 | $20,942 |
Quick list of all 97 majors
- Accounting$82,246
- Accounting and Computer Science—
- Anthropology$50,703
- Applied Mathematics$68,359
- Archeology$38,243
- Area Studies$40,623
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education—
- Biochemistry$77,048
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$50,027
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Business—
- Business Administration$71,886
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$58,622
- Chemistry$55,793
- City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning—
- Classics—
- Communications$56,415
- Community Organization and Advocacy—
- Computer and Information Sciences$110,138
- Criminology—
- Dance—
- Data Science—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$64,123
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$62,500
- Education (Subject Teaching)$63,072
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Electrical and Computer Engineering—
- Electrical Engineering$107,131
- English$46,571
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$53,781
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$75,730
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other—
- Geography—
- Geography and Environmental Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science$67,208
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$69,715
- History$46,000
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources—
- Human Services$53,788
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies$54,290
- International Business$63,923
- Journalism$57,697
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$50,079
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$38,163
- Linguistics$44,615
- Management Information Systems$81,678
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Manufacturing Engineering$85,314
- Marine Sciences—
- Marketing$69,323
- Mathematics$54,234
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$43,919
- Music$38,858
- Neuroscience$51,508
- Nursing$96,695
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$50,832
- Philosophy—
- Physics$63,833
- Political Science$49,640
- Polymer / Plastics Engineering$92,439
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health$53,428
- Psychology$53,224
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Health—
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Sociology$54,263
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$65,380
- Special Education$64,780
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$61,802
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$35,161
- Sustainability Studies$70,793
- Theatre$40,616
- Urban Studies / Affairs—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing$38,460
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Bellingham
Overall prices in the Bellingham, WA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,872. Housing costs 13% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 38 inches of rain a year, 3 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Whatcom County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Whatcom County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Western Washington University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Washington by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Washington University | 93% | $21,193 | 65% | $62,569 | This school |
| University of Washington-Bothell Campus | 91% | $12,319 | 65% | $78,466 | |
| Central Washington University | 91% | $18,476 | 54% | $61,580 | |
| Washington State University | 87% | $14,971 | 61% | $68,905 | |
| Eastern Washington University | 91% | $13,886 | 43% | $57,897 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Western Washington University would cost you $8,874 more per year than University of Washington-Bothell Campus, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Western Washington University, mostly from more University of Washington-Bothell Campus students living at home, which lowers its average (+$8,232).
- University of Washington-Bothell Campus gives aided families $5,423 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Washington resident | Western Washington University | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,582 | $12,919 | −$3,337 |
| Books & supplies | $1,176 | $900 | +$276 |
| Housing & meals | $14,915 | $17,115 | −$2,200 |
| Personal & travel | $4,590 | $4,110 | +$480 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | +$96 | −$8,136 | +$8,232 |
| Sticker price | $30,359 | $26,908 | +$3,451 |
| Average grants | −$9,166 | −$14,589 | +$5,423 |
| You pay | $21,193 | $12,319 | +$8,874 |
“+” means Western Washington University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Western Washington University
What is the Western Washington University acceptance rate?
Western Washington University accepts 93% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 13,005 of 14,243 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1150–1390 on the SAT or 24–31 on the ACT.
How much does Western Washington University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $30,359 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $21,193 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,915 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,984.
How much do Western Washington University graduates earn?
Former Western Washington University students earn a median $62,569 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Western Washington University graduation rate?
65% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
How long does a Western Washington University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Western Washington University costs about $77,698 after grants ($17,539 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $62,569 ten years after starting, $22,350 more than high school graduates in Washington ($40,219), so the cost is repaid in 3.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Western Washington University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-washington-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).