2022 best colleges in Washington
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Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.
Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.
Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.
Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.
Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, Washington
Admission rate: 87%
Grad rate: 76%
Net cost: $10,817
Payback: 1.1 Years
Earnings: $68,925
Vs. state average: + $23,966
Economic score: 0.75
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, Washington
Admission rate: 88%
Grad rate: 74%
Net cost: $11,060
Payback: 1.2 Years
Earnings: $68,925
Vs. state average: + $23,966
Economic score: 0.78
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, Washington
Admission rate: 56%
Grad rate: 84%
Net cost: $13,297
Payback: 1.3 Years
Earnings: $68,925
Vs. state average: + $23,966
Economic score: 0.88
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
Admission rate: 80%
Grad rate: 64%
Net cost: $16,358
Payback: 2.2 Years
Earnings: $61,080
Vs. state average: + $16,121
Economic score: 1.62
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington
Admission rate: 86%
Grad rate: 63%
Net cost: $15,397
Payback: 2.5 Years
Earnings: $55,685
Vs. state average: + $10,726
Economic score: 2.00
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington
Admission rate: 79%
Grad rate: 58%
Net cost: $12,607
Payback: 2.4 Years
Earnings: $52,667
Vs. state average: + $7,708
Economic score: 2.05
Gonzaga University
Spokane, Washington
Admission rate: 73%
Grad rate: 86%
Net cost: $33,793
Payback: 3.3 Years
Earnings: $69,468
Vs. state average: + $24,509
Economic score: 2.14
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington
Admission rate: 94%
Grad rate: 72%
Net cost: $16,529
Payback: 2.7 Years
Earnings: $54,976
Vs. state average: + $10,017
Economic score: 2.22
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington
Admission rate: 84%
Grad rate: 78%
Net cost: $34,802
Payback: 3.4 Years
Earnings: $69,303
Vs. state average: + $24,344
Economic score: 2.24
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, Washington
Admission rate: 87%
Grad rate: 68%
Net cost: $23,058
Payback: 3.2 Years
Earnings: $57,049
Vs. state average: + $12,090
Economic score: 2.51
Heritage University
Toppenish, Washington
Admission rate: N/A
Grad rate: 50%
Net cost: $10,056
Payback: 2.7 Years
Earnings: $46,046
Vs. state average: + $1,087
Economic score: 2.62
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle, Washington
Admission rate: 91%
Grad rate: 67%
Net cost: $26,505
Payback: 3.8 Years
Earnings: $57,097
Vs. state average: + $12,138
Economic score: 2.98
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington
Admission rate: 87%
Grad rate: 76%
Net cost: $35,149
Payback: 4.2 Years
Earnings: $61,842
Vs. state average: + $16,883
Economic score: 3.04
Whitworth University
Spokane, Washington
Admission rate: 92%
Grad rate: 77%
Net cost: $25,557
Payback: 3.8 Years
Earnings: $55,248
Vs. state average: + $10,289
Economic score: 3.07
Walla Walla University
College Place, Washington
Admission rate: N/A
Grad rate: 63%
Net cost: $20,571
Payback: 3.7 Years
Earnings: $53,236
Vs. state average: + $8,277
Economic score: 3.09
Saint Martin's University
Lacey, Washington
Admission rate: 95%
Grad rate: 69%
Net cost: $22,668
Payback: 4.1 Years
Earnings: $55,283
Vs. state average: + $10,324
Economic score: 3.31
Northwest University
Kirkland, Washington
Admission rate: 93%
Grad rate: 60%
Net cost: $22,194
Payback: 4.4 Years
Earnings: $48,096
Vs. state average: + $3,137
Economic score: 4.11
Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington
Admission rate: 55%
Grad rate: 89%
Net cost: $38,672
Payback: 6.1 Years
Earnings: $59,340
Vs. state average: + $14,381
Economic score: 4.61
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, Washington
Admission rate: 99%
Grad rate: 64%
Net cost: $13,604
Payback: 4.4 Years
Earnings: $40,782
Vs. state average: - $4,177
Economic score: 4.87
Faith International University
Tacoma, Washington
Admission rate: N/A
Grad rate: 58%
Net cost: $17,309
Payback: 5.5 Years
Earnings: $42,958
Vs. state average: - $2,001
Economic score: 5.76
