Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you. If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships, but also more pleasurable walks across campus. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degress you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no disctinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whehter you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands balancing work and life, or becuase the online colleges afford them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are aynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find, well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

Best Research Universities in Washington 2023

By James Barham

Published: May 5, 2021
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

Interested in attending a STEM school in Washington? Our ranking of top research universities for bachelor’s degrees displays schools that will best prepare you for STEM careers.

Best Research Universities in Washington 2022

University of Washington

73%

Washington State University

54%

Seattle University

47%

Gonzaga University

40%

Seattle Pacific University

32%

Seattle Pacific University

92%

Washington State University

86%

Seattle University

82%

Gonzaga University

76%

University of Washington

53%

University of Washington

20 to 1

Washington State University

16 to 1

Seattle Pacific University

13 to 1

11 to 1

10 to 1

$49,335

$48,470

Seattle Pacific University

$35,646

University of Washington

$10,927

Washington State University

$10,457

Seattle Pacific University

$24,273

University of Washington

$16,605

Gonzaga University

$14,499

Seattle University

$13,770

Washington State University

$12,076

Seattle Pacific University

32%

Gonzaga University

40%

Seattle University

47%

Washington State University

54%

University of Washington

73%

University of Washington

53%

Gonzaga University

76%

Seattle University

82%

Washington State University

86%

Seattle Pacific University

92%

Seattle University

10 to 1

Gonzaga University

11 to 1

Seattle Pacific University

13 to 1

Washington State University

16 to 1

University of Washington

20 to 1

Washington State University

$10,457

University of Washington

$10,927

Seattle Pacific University

$35,646

Gonzaga University

$48,470

Seattle University

$49,335

Washington State University

$12,076

Seattle University

$13,770

Gonzaga University

$14,499

University of Washington

$16,605

Seattle Pacific University

$24,273

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

How do we determine Washington's best 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.

A research university is a great option for students interested in obtaining STEM degrees. Research universities invest heavily in research, which consequently provides meaningful and extensive opportunities for its students and faculty to participate in research. We’ve identified 5 research universities in Washington. To be included in our ranking, schools must be a fully accredited universities and must must offer doctoral degrees across the range of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).

Best Research Universities in Washington 2022

#1
University of Washington
Seattle , WA
#4 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2023 #5 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2023 #5 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2023 #7 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2023
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
84%
Student body
44K
Median SAT/ACT
1326/30
What is University of Washington known for?

University of Washington’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Earth Sciences
Medical
Social Work
Biology
Computer Science
Anthropology
Nursing
Chemistry
Mathematics
Engineering

Most Influential Alumni

George Stigler
Frank Herbert
Michael Hardt
Harold Hotelling
Robert Mundell
Ted Bundy
Minoru Yamasaki
Lyle Campbell
Steven Holl
Linda B. Buck
Bill Atkinson
Tom M. Apostol
Compare school
#2
Washington State University
Pullman , WA
#2 Best Grad Schools in Washington 2023 #2 Best Colleges in Washington 2023 #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Washington 2023 #2 Best Public Colleges in Washington 2023
Other Rankings
- #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2023
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
60%
Student body
27K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/23
What is Washington State University known for?

Washington State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Criminal Justice
Biology
Communications
Earth Sciences
Sociology
Chemistry
Psychology
Engineering
Economics
Business

Most Influential Alumni

Timothy Leary
Edward R. Murrow
William Julius Wilson
Robert D. Keppel
Gary Larson
Philip Abelson
Howard Bowen
James T. Richardson
George B. Thomas
Keith Jackson
Gordon G. Gallup
Mark Driscoll
Compare school
#3
Seattle University
Seattle , WA
#20 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities 2023 #1 Best Private Colleges in Washington 2023 #1 Best Christian Colleges in Washington 2023 #2 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2023
Other Rankings
- #3 Best Grad Schools in Washington 2023
- #3 Best Colleges in Washington 2023
Tuition + fees
$49K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
75%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1230/27
What is Seattle University known for?

Seattle University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Nursing
Computer Science
Criminal Justice
Engineering
Law
Economics
Religious Studies
Sociology
Psychology
Philosophy

Most Influential Alumni

John Hopcroft
Steve McConnell
Henry Manne
Elgin Baylor
Jim Whittaker
Carl A. Anderson
Peter W. Chiarelli
Kevin Metheny
Duff McKagan
Julie Larson-Green
William D. Swenson
Angela Rye
Compare school
#4
Gonzaga University
Spokane , WA
#2 Best Private Colleges in Washington 2023 #2 Best Christian Colleges in Washington 2023 #4 Best Grad Schools in Washington 2023 #5 Best Colleges in Washington 2023
Tuition + fees
$48K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
85%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1255/27
What is Gonzaga University known for?

Gonzaga University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Nursing
Religious Studies
Law
Business
Philosophy
Engineering
Communications
Biology
History
Computer Science

Most Influential Alumni

Greg Boyle
John Stockton
Robert Blair Kaiser
Jim Wickwire
Philip Vera Cruz
Jeff Moss
Mike Stepovich
Tom Foley
Brent Hartinger
Ronny Turiaf
Bing Crosby
Kelly Olynyk
Compare school
#5
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle , WA
#8 Best CCCU Colleges and Universities 2023 #3 Best Christian Colleges in Washington 2023 #4 Best Small Colleges in Washington 2023 #5 Best Grad Schools in Washington 2023
Other Rankings
- #5 Best Private Colleges in Washington 2023
- #10 Best Colleges in Washington 2023
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
92%
Graduation
66%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1085/23
What is Seattle Pacific University known for?

Seattle Pacific University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Computer Science
Religious Studies
Psychology
Sociology
Communications
Literature
Chemistry
Biology
Business
Economics

Most Influential Alumni

Larry Wall
Gordon Fee
David T. Wong
Eugene H. Peterson
William L. Lane
Jean Stothert
Andrew Foster
Timothy Beal
Gilbert Fite
Laurel Rose Willson
Rodger Nishioka
Jeff Probst
Compare school

Build your own college rankings

Find the Best Research Universities in Washington for Your Area of Interest

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you. If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).
Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships, but also more pleasurable walks across campus. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degress you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no disctinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whehter you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.
Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands balancing work and life, or becuase the online colleges afford them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are aynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.
The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 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 research universities throughout the U.S. for a look at the top research institutions in every state.

Best Research Universities in Washington 2023

Best Research Universities in Washington 2022

Colleges and Universities in Washington

What are Washington’s Colleges & Universities?

Washington’s Best Overall

Best Research Universities in Washington 2022

University of Washington

Most Influential Alumni

Washington State University

Most Influential Alumni

Seattle University

Most Influential Alumni

Gonzaga University

Most Influential Alumni

Seattle Pacific University

Most Influential Alumni

Find the Best Research Universities in Washington for Your Area of Interest