Most Affordable Colleges in Washington 2024

Badge for MOST AFFORDABLE COLLEGES IN WASHINGTON

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

Here are the most affordable colleges and universities in Washington. Our list will help you find the right kind of school for you, at a price you can afford.

10 Most Affordable Colleges in Washington 2024

University of Washington
Washington State University
Western Washington University
Evergreen State College
Eastern Washington University
Central Washington University
City University of Seattle
Bellevue College
University of Washington Tacoma
University of Washington Bothell

University of Washington
Washington State University
Evergreen State College
Western Washington University
Central Washington University
Eastern Washington University
City University of Seattle
University of Washington Tacoma
University of Washington Bothell
Bellevue 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%

Charter College 25 to 1
University of Washington 21 to 1
University of Washington Bothell 21 to 1
Eastern Washington University 19 to 1
Columbia Basin College 19 to 1
Olympic College 17 to 1
Spokane Community College 17 to 1
Western Washington University 17 to 1
Evergreen State College 17 to 1
North Seattle College 17 to 1

Charter College $17,116
City University of Seattle $13,558
University of Washington $11,189
University of Washington Tacoma $11,189
University of Washington Bothell $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

University of Washington $17,004
University of Washington Tacoma $17,004
University of Washington Bothell $17,004
Eastern Washington University $12,723
Washington State University $12,366
Evergreen State College $12,021
City University of Seattle $11,812
Western Washington University $11,756
Central Washington University $10,401

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

Centralia College
Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Green River College
North Seattle College
Skagit Valley College
Edmonds College
Charter College
Peninsula College
Spokane Community College
Olympic 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%

City University of Seattle 6 to 1
Green River College 12 to 1
Edmonds College 12 to 1
Wenatchee Valley College 13 to 1
Peninsula College 14 to 1
Spokane Falls Community College 14 to 1
Centralia College 14 to 1
Highline College 14 to 1
Central Washington University 14 to 1
Washington State University 15 to 1

Spokane Community College $3,102
Spokane Falls Community College $3,102
Lake Washington Institute of Technology $3,102
Highline College $3,527
Skagit Valley College $3,917
Peninsula College $3,927
Green River College $3,928
Bellevue College $3,928
Edmonds College $3,952
Olympic College $4,197

Central Washington University $10,401
Western Washington University $11,756
City University of Seattle $11,812
Evergreen State College $12,021
Washington State University $12,366
Eastern Washington University $12,723
University of Washington $17,004
University of Washington Tacoma $17,004
University of Washington Bothell $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

How do we determine Washington's best affordable 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.

There are 35 colleges and universities in Washington with stated tuitions and fees under $20,000/year. The following list of the most affordable colleges and universities in Washington is composed entirely of schools offering bachelor’s degree programs, have stated tuition and fees near or under the national average of $16,000/year, and are fully accredited colleges.

Most Affordable Colleges in Washington 2023

These schools are ranked by academic excellence, and all under $20,000/year.

Washington’s Most Affordable Colleges in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Most Affordable Colleges in Washington 2024

10 Most Affordable Colleges in Washington 2024

Colleges and Universities in Washington

What are Washington’s Colleges & Universities?

Most Affordable 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 City University of Seattle

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 Charter 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

Washington’s Most Affordable Colleges in Your Area of Interest