Find the Best Colleges in Washington
Washington is home to more than 50 accredited schools of higher education. The diversity fits everyone’s needs: Choose from major research universities, small liberal arts colleges, private career colleges, technical schools and religious schools. Affordable college education is a state priority, and some Washington college programs are free to the most cash-strapped students.
Studying out-of-state can be affordable too. Most notably, Washington residents can take advantage of the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE). This program provides tuition discounts at about 150 schools in various western states. Community colleges and four-year schools take part. Some participating states are California, Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii. See the full list below.
Washington Colleges & Universities
How much will college cost? Here are a few reassuring points about Washington college opportunities and expenses.
- You won’t go broke. Washington colleges are relatively affordable. Washington community college tuition is under $4000/year for in-state residents. And while many four-year colleges in Washington charge $10,000/year and up, you won’t necessarily be expected to foot the bill. For one thing, approximately 200,000 Washington college students receive financial aid based on need.
- Online learning is well respected in Washington. (We’d expect no less from Bill Gates’ home state.) Two of the top providers are the University of Washington and Washington State University, but plenty more online college programs in Washington are in our database. Learning online can seriously cut the cost of earning a college degree.
- Washington makes deals. Thanks to the state’s membership in the Western Undergraduate Exchange, residents of Washington can save on tuition at various schools in these states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
