US CollegesColleges in Washington: cost, admission and results
59 degree-granting colleges and universities in Washington, with the admission rate, net price, graduation rate and earnings of each. The largest are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (31,942 undergraduates), Washington State University (21,099 undergraduates), Western Washington University (13,544 undergraduates).
Washington at a glance
- Colleges on this site
- 59
- Public / private nonprofit / for-profit
- 34 / 22 / 3
- Median in-state tuition and fees
- $8,868
- Median net price a year
- $19,020
- Median admission rate
- 83%
- Median graduation rate
- 39%
- Median earnings 10 years on
- $56,341
No college in this list matches.
| College | Admission rate | Net price a year | Graduation rate | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antioch University-SeattleSeattle, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | $54,447 |
| Bastyr UniversityKenmore, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | $62,095 |
| Bellevue CollegeBellevue, WA · Public | not reported | $18,271 | 31% | $63,508 |
| Big Bend Community CollegeMoses Lake, WA · Public | not reported | $16,900 | 35% | $45,128 |
| Cascadia CollegeBothell, WA · Public | not reported | $19,544 | 38% | $65,772 |
| Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA · Public | 91% | $21,201 | 51% | $65,578 |
| Centralia CollegeCentralia, WA · Public | not reported | $17,394 | 40% | $45,534 |
| City University of SeattleSeattle, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | 12% | $66,765 |
| Clark CollegeVancouver, WA · Public | not reported | $18,625 | 36% | $47,832 |
| Columbia Basin CollegePasco, WA · Public | not reported | $13,813 | 32% | $51,967 |
| DigiPen Institute of TechnologyRedmond, WA · Private for-profit | 64% | $42,428 | 63% | $80,038 |
| Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, WA · Public | 91% | $13,647 | 43% | $62,463 |
| Edmonds CollegeLynnwood, WA · Public | not reported | $24,646 | 23% | $54,434 |
| Everett Community CollegeEverett, WA · Public | not reported | $18,421 | 35% | $51,095 |
| Faith International UniversityTacoma, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | $22,817 | 29% | $57,111 |
| Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA · Private nonprofit | 82% | $32,750 | 85% | $89,110 |
| Grays Harbor CollegeAberdeen, WA · Public | not reported | $12,588 | 34% | $44,277 |
| Great Northern UniversitySpokane, WA · Private nonprofit | 100% | $26,158 | 50% | not reported |
| Green River CollegeAuburn, WA · Public | not reported | $18,821 | 41% | $54,621 |
| Heritage UniversityToppenish, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | $10,747 | 57% | $58,279 |
| Highline CollegeDes Moines, WA · Public | not reported | $18,053 | 38% | $54,850 |
| Lower Columbia CollegeLongview, WA · Public | not reported | $7,341 | 22% | $45,498 |
| Northwest College of Art & DesignTacoma, WA · Private for-profit | 66% | $25,900 | 43% | $39,289 |
| Northwest Indian CollegeBellingham, WA · Public | not reported | $9,346 | 22% | $35,232 |
| Northwest UniversityKirkland, WA · Private nonprofit | 83% | $22,071 | 67% | $61,237 |
| Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended EducationKirkland, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | $31,325 | 36% | $61,237 |
| Olympic CollegeBremerton, WA · Public | not reported | $10,370 | 33% | $48,582 |
| Pacific Lutheran UniversityTacoma, WA · Private nonprofit | 78% | $20,652 | 64% | $71,109 |
| Pacific Northwest Christian CollegeKennewick, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | $10,982 | 100% | not reported |
| Pacific Northwest University of Health SciencesYakima, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pierce College DistrictLakewood, WA · Public | not reported | $20,424 | 32% | $52,562 |
| Saint Martin's UniversityLacey, WA · Private nonprofit | 90% | $25,472 | 56% | $70,376 |
| Seattle Central CollegeSeattle, WA · Public | not reported | $21,132 | 32% | $48,906 |
| Seattle Film InstituteSeattle, WA · Private for-profit | not reported | $36,589 | 75% | not reported |
| Seattle Institute of East Asian MedicineSeattle, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle, WA · Private nonprofit | 83% | $25,419 | 55% | $71,277 |
| Seattle UniversitySeattle, WA · Private nonprofit | 77% | $34,324 | 71% | $84,728 |
| Shoreline CollegeShoreline, WA · Public | not reported | $18,564 | 30% | $56,341 |
| Skagit Valley CollegeMount Vernon, WA · Public | not reported | $18,835 | 34% | $50,327 |
| South Puget Sound Community CollegeOlympia, WA · Public | not reported | $18,745 | 44% | $48,158 |
| Spokane Community CollegeSpokane, WA · Public | not reported | $20,482 | 33% | $46,919 |
| Spokane Falls Community CollegeSpokane, WA · Public | not reported | $19,537 | 32% | $42,786 |
| Tacoma Community CollegeTacoma, WA · Public | not reported | $19,206 | 30% | $52,313 |
| The Evergreen State CollegeOlympia, WA · Public | 96% | $25,154 | 38% | $48,982 |
| The Seattle School of Theology & PsychologySeattle, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| University of Puget SoundTacoma, WA · Private nonprofit | 72% | $32,507 | 69% | $71,918 |
| University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell, WA · Public | 91% | $13,802 | 68% | $83,105 |
| University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, WA · Public | 39% | $13,663 | 85% | $83,105 |
| University of Washington-Tacoma CampusTacoma, WA · Public | 83% | $11,900 | 60% | $83,105 |
| Walla Walla Community CollegeWalla Walla, WA · Public | not reported | $14,397 | 38% | $48,220 |
| Walla Walla UniversityCollege Place, WA · Private nonprofit | not reported | $27,786 | 58% | $67,140 |
| Washington State UniversityPullman, WA · Public | 87% | $13,462 | 63% | $72,280 |
| Wenatchee Valley CollegeWenatchee, WA · Public | not reported | $16,742 | 36% | $45,574 |
| Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA · Public | 93% | $19,963 | 61% | $64,305 |
| Whatcom Community CollegeBellingham, WA · Public | not reported | $17,524 | 39% | $48,317 |
| Whitman CollegeWalla Walla, WA · Private nonprofit | 38% | $29,486 | 75% | $70,813 |
| Whitworth UniversitySpokane, WA · Private nonprofit | 90% | $23,009 | 67% | $64,055 |
| Whitworth University-Adult Degree ProgramsSpokane, WA · Private nonprofit | 29% | not reported | not reported | $64,055 |
| Yakima Valley CollegeYakima, WA · Public | not reported | $17,448 | 29% | $45,860 |
"Not reported" means the Department of Education has no figure, often because the college is small, new, or does not take first-time students. Medians are the middle value of the colleges listed here.
The colleges of Washington in brief
Of the 59 colleges listed for Washington, 34 are public, 22 are private nonprofit and 3 are private for-profit. By level, 29 mainly award bachelor's degrees, 27 mainly award two-year associate degrees and 3 mainly award graduate degrees. Together they teach about 203,126 undergraduates, 87% of them at public colleges. The three largest, University of Washington-Seattle Campus, Washington State University and Western Washington University, hold 33% of the total, and the middle-sized college has 2,390 undergraduates. The towns with the most colleges are Seattle (9), Tacoma (6) and Spokane (6).
What college costs in Washington
At the public colleges, the median published tuition and fees are $5,468 a year for students from Washington and $8,511 for students from elsewhere. At the private nonprofit colleges the median is $37,360. Published prices are not what most families pay. Counting colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the lowest average net price after grants is at Lower Columbia College ($7,341) and Northwest Indian College ($9,346) and the highest at DigiPen Institute of Technology ($42,428) and Seattle University ($34,324). The median net price across the state, $19,020, is 10% above the national median of $17,357.
Getting in
21 of the 59 colleges report an admission rate. The hardest to get into are Whitworth University-Adult Degree Programs (29% admitted), Whitman College (38% admitted) and University of Washington-Seattle Campus (39% admitted). 16 of them admit at least seven applicants in ten. 33 colleges have an open admission policy and report no rate: they do not turn applicants away on grades or test scores.
Finishing and earning
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the highest share of students finishing their course is at Gonzaga University (85%), University of Washington-Seattle Campus (85%) and Whitman College (75%). The median graduation rate of the state's colleges is 39%, against 49% for the country. Ten years after starting, former students with federal aid earn the most at Gonzaga University ($89,110), Seattle University ($84,728) and University of Washington-Bothell Campus ($83,105). The state median for that measure is $56,341, 6% above the national $53,132. Students who finish leave with a median federal loan debt of $14,790 (national median $19,994). Earnings follow the subjects a college teaches as much as its quality, so compare like with like.
Questions about colleges in Washington
How many colleges are there in Washington?
This site lists 59 open, degree-granting colleges and universities in Washington, out of 3,161 on the whole site. Schools that mainly give short certificates are not counted.
What is the largest college in Washington?
University of Washington-Seattle Campus in Seattle, with about 31,942 undergraduate students.
Which college in Washington has the lowest net price?
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, Lower Columbia College: students with federal aid paid an average of $7,341 a year after grants. Students from other states or countries usually pay more.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.