This page compares the best colleges in Washington with tuition, admission, and more academic facts (Ranking data from College Evaluator). For the academic year 2021-2022, University of Washington-Seattle Campus rank first in the best Washington college ranking and Whitman College is placed in second.
Admission Comparison Between Best Colleges in Washington
5 public and 5 private schools rank in the best Washington colleges. The schools' average acceptance rate is 79.80% where Whitman College has the tightest (lowest) acceptance rate of 54% and Western Washington University has the highest rate of 94%. Total 126,663 students are attending one of the best Washington schools where University of Washington-Seattle Campus has the largest population with 48,149 students and Northwest University has the smallest number of students (1,184 students). The average graduation rate is 70.20% and the average students to faculty ratio is 14.40:1 at those colleges.
| Rank | Name | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Graduation Rate | Population | Student-Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | 56% | 1,327 | 82% | 48,149 | 19:1 (5.26 %) |
| 2 | Whitman College Walla Walla, WA | 54% | 1,330 | 86% | 1,360 | 9:1 (11.11 %) |
| 3 | Gonzaga University Spokane, WA | 73% | 1,255 | 88% | 7,295 | 11:1 (9.09 %) |
| 4 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA | 88% | 1,155 | 63% | 6,304 | 20:1 (5.00 %) |
| 5 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA | 86% | 1,070 | 60% | 5,364 | 16:1 (6.25 %) |
| 6 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA | 94% | 1,175 | 68% | 15,197 | 18:1 (5.56 %) |
| 7 | Washington State University Pullman, WA | 80% | 1,115 | 59% | 31,159 | 15:1 (6.67 %) |
| 8 | Seattle University Seattle, WA | 83% | 1,230 | 73% | 7,050 | 11:1 (9.09 %) |
| 9 | Northwest University Kirkland, WA | 93% | 1,108 | 58% | 1,184 | 12:1 (8.33 %) |
| 10 | Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA | 91% | 1,085 | 65% | 3,601 | 13:1 (7.69 %) |
| Average | 79.80% | 1,185 | 70.20% | 126,663 (Total) | 14.40:1 (6.94 %) |
Best Washington Colleges 2022 Tuition Comparison and 2023 Estimated Costs
The following table lists 2021-2022 tuition & fees and compares them between the best Washington colleges. The 2021-2022 costs are officially published by IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education. The estimated costs for the academic year 2022-2023 are calculated and estimated based on each school's rate of tuition change from 2021 to 2022.
For the undergraduate programs, the average tuition & fees of the best Washington colleges is $39,679 where Whitman College has the most expensive costs at $55,982 and Western Washington University has the lowest amount of tuition at $25,930. The average graduate tuition & fees of the best Washington colleges is $24,241 where University of Washington-Tacoma Campus has the highest tuition with $31,032 and Seattle University has the lowest amount of graduate school tuition with $14,310.
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | In-State | Out-of-State | ||
| 1 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | $12,076 | $39,906 | $12,416 | $40,714 |
| 2 | Whitman College | $55,982 | $62,172 | ||
| 3 | Gonzaga University | $48,470 | $50,071 | ||
| 4 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | $11,950 | $39,780 | $12,259 | $40,557 |
| 5 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | $12,196 | $40,026 | $12,511 | $40,809 |
| 6 | Western Washington University | $8,703 | $25,930 | $8,902 | $26,611 |
| 7 | Washington State University | $12,417 | $27,733 | $12,669 | $28,367 |
| 8 | Seattle University | $49,335 | $50,298 | ||
| 9 | Northwest University | $33,980 | $33,980 | ||
| 10 | Seattle Pacific University | $35,646 | $26,895 | ||
| Average | $11,468 | $39,679 | $11,752 | $40,048 | |
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | In-State | Out-of-State | ||
| 1 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | $17,754 | $30,912 | $17,754 | $18,121 |
| 2 | Whitman College | - | - | ||
| 3 | Gonzaga University | $14,878 | $12,524 | ||
| 4 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | $17,628 | $30,786 | $17,628 | $17,964 |
| 5 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | $17,874 | $31,032 | $17,874 | $18,216 |
| 6 | Western Washington University | $12,490 | $24,737 | $12,490 | $12,795 |
| 7 | Washington State University | $13,740 | $28,190 | $13,740 | $14,023 |
| 8 | Seattle University | $14,310 | $14,585 | ||
| 9 | Northwest University | $19,055 | $19,504 | ||
| 10 | Seattle Pacific University | $24,273 | $18,472 | ||
| Average | $15,897 | $24,241 | $16,224 | $23,763 | |