Best Public Colleges in Washington 2024

Badge for BEST IN WASHINGTON PUBLIC COLLEGES

Published: May 5, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in Washington provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.

University of Washington
Washington State University
Evergreen State College
Western Washington University
Central Washington University
Eastern Washington University
University of Washington Tacoma
University of Washington Bothell
Bellevue College
Columbia Basin College

Eastern Washington University 96%
Western Washington University 93%
Central Washington University 93%
University of Washington Tacoma 88%
University of Washington Bothell 88%
Washington State University 83%
Evergreen State College 74%
University of Washington 48%

University of Washington Bothell 21 to 1
University of Washington 21 to 1
Columbia Basin College 19 to 1
Eastern Washington University 19 to 1
Spokane Community College 17 to 1
Western Washington University 17 to 1
North Seattle College 17 to 1
Olympic College 17 to 1
Seattle Central College 17 to 1
Skagit Valley College 17 to 1

University of Washington Tacoma $11,189
University of Washington Bothell $11,189
University of Washington $11,189
Washington State University $10,708
Western Washington University $7,760
Evergreen State College $7,596
Eastern Washington University $7,104
Central Washington University $6,816
Columbia Basin College $5,319
Tacoma Community College $4,458

University of Washington Tacoma $17,004
University of Washington Bothell $17,004
University of Washington $17,004
Eastern Washington University $12,723
Washington State University $12,366
Evergreen State College $12,021
Western Washington University $11,756
Central Washington University $10,401

Tacoma Community College
Whatcom Community College
North Seattle College
Edmonds College
Green River College
Centralia College
Olympic College
Skagit Valley College
Spokane Falls Community College
Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Whatcom Community College
Centralia College
Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Green River College
North Seattle College
Skagit Valley College
Edmonds College
Peninsula College
Spokane Community College
Tacoma Community College

University of Washington 48%
Evergreen State College 74%
Washington State University 83%
University of Washington Bothell 88%
University of Washington Tacoma 88%
Central Washington University 93%
Western Washington University 93%
Eastern Washington University 96%

Edmonds College 12 to 1
Green River College 12 to 1
Wenatchee Valley College 13 to 1
Whatcom Community College 13 to 1
Spokane Falls Community College 14 to 1
Central Washington University 14 to 1
Highline College 14 to 1
Centralia College 14 to 1
Peninsula College 14 to 1
University of Washington Tacoma 15 to 1

Spokane Community College $3,102
Spokane Falls Community College $3,102
Lake Washington Institute of Technology $3,102
Whatcom Community College $3,527
Highline College $3,527
Skagit Valley College $3,917
Peninsula College $3,927
Bellevue College $3,928
Green River College $3,928
Edmonds College $3,952

Central Washington University $10,401
Western Washington University $11,756
Evergreen State College $12,021
Washington State University $12,366
Eastern Washington University $12,723
University of Washington Tacoma $17,004
University of Washington Bothell $17,004
University of Washington $17,004

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Washington

Of the 40 public options, the University of Washington in Seattle is the largest. Roughly 40,000 students attend classes in fields like nursing, education, biology, and computer science. This public research institution is also affordable, charging about $11,000 for tuition. In fact, none of the public schools in Washington exceed $12,000 in price. This includes community colleges, technical colleges, and four-year universities, making Washington a uniquely affordable place to earn your associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Washington also has 24 private institutions. Of those, nine are religious. The most widely known of these, Catholic university Gonzaga enrolls roughly 7,000 students, at a cost of $40,000, in areas such as religious studies, engineering, and law. Central Washington University (CWU) is a smaller public school, serving just over 12,000 students, and has a tuition of $8,000. With 15% of its population being Hispanic, CWU is now recognized as an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution. Washington health professions also have the opportunity to receive funding for loan repayment through Washington’s Health Professional Loan Repayment Program.

Set in the Pacific Northwest, Washington offers ocean beaches and lush forests. In fact, over half the state is covered in forests, earning Washington its nickname as The Evergreen State. Viewers atop the Space Needle in Seattle can take in the sights of Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, and both the Cascades and Olympic mountain ranges. In addition, prospective students can choose from over 60 higher education institutions in the state.

Check out the top higher education programs and find an affordable degree in Washington.

What are Washington’s Colleges & Universities?

Washington’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 32 public universities in Washington. To be included in our list of the best public colleges in Washington, shcools must receive direct funding from the state, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degress.

How do we determine Washington's best public colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Best Public Colleges in Washington 2023

Washington’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of public colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top public colleges in every state.

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Best Public Colleges in Washington 2024

10 Best Public Colleges in Washington

Colleges and Universities in Washington

What are Washington’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Public Colleges in Washington 2023

Career Outlook for degree at University of Washington

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Washington State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Western Washington University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Evergreen State College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Eastern Washington University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Central Washington University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Bellevue College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Washington Tacoma

Career Outlook for degree at University of Washington Bothell

Career Outlook for degree at Columbia Basin College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Peninsula College

Career Outlook for degree at Seattle Central College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Wenatchee Valley College

Career Outlook for degree at Highline College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Spokane Community College

Career Outlook for degree at Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Career Outlook for degree at Spokane Falls Community College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Skagit Valley College

Career Outlook for degree at Olympic College

Career Outlook for degree at Centralia College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Green River College

Career Outlook for degree at Edmonds College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at North Seattle College

Career Outlook for degree at Whatcom Community College

Career Outlook for degree at Tacoma Community College

Washington’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest