Best Washington Colleges
There are 62 colleges and universities in Washington enrolling 326,353 students. Explore the list of top colleges in Washington below to begin your college search. The CollegeSimply rankings are objective and data-driven in order to help you find good matches for you. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page. Whether you're searching for a good public, private or community college, this guide to universities in Washington offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.
Washington is home to nationally ranked institutions like Whitman College, University of Washington Seattle Campus, Seattle University and Gonzaga University. The highest ranked college in Washington is Whitman College and the top rated public state college is University of Washington Seattle Campus.
Local college options can be explored in Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Vancouver or other cities.
List of the Best Washington Colleges
Whitman College
- Private 4 Year
- Walla Walla, WA
-
3.4 | 5 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Whitman is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate biology, chemistry, and environmental studies. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Walla Walla.
- SAT Range 1310-1480
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $37,633
University of Washington Seattle Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Seattle, WA
-
3.5 | 6 reviews
- Nov 16 application deadline
UW is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate computer science, engineering, and oceanography. The urban campus sits beside Portage Bay and Lake Washington.
- SAT Range 1200-1453
- Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 39%
- Net Price $11,784
Seattle University
- Private 4 Year
- Seattle, WA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Seattle University is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate nursing and business. The urban campus sits on First Hill near downtown Seattle.
- SAT Range 1200-1430
- Avg GPA 3.62
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $36,948
Gonzaga University
- Private 4 Year
- Spokane, WA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Gonzaga is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and engineering. The campus runs along the Spokane River in eastern Washington.
- SAT Range 1190-1380
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $40,117
University of Puget Sound
- Private 4 Year
- Tacoma, WA
-
4.0 | 5 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Puget Sound is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music and the natural sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in Tacoma near Commencement Bay.
- SAT Range 1170-1380
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $43,188
Northwest University
- Private 4 Year
- Kirkland, WA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Northwest University is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, ministry, and business. The suburban campus sits in Kirkland east of Seattle.
- SAT Range 1040-1350
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $24,251
Seattle Pacific University
- Private 4 Year
- Seattle, WA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 11 application deadline
Seattle Pacific is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The urban campus sits in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1050-1320
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $25,232
Whitworth University
- Private 4 Year
- Spokane, WA
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Whitworth is a private Presbyterian university known for undergraduate education, business, and the sciences. The wooded residential campus sits in north Spokane.
- SAT Range 1090-1330
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $27,605
Western Washington University
- Public 4 Year
- Bellingham, WA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 31 application deadline
Western Washington is a public university known for undergraduate environmental science and education. The hillside campus overlooks Bellingham Bay near the Cascade Mountains.
- SAT Range 1150-1390
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $24,338
Pacific Lutheran University
- Private 4 Year
- Tacoma, WA
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Pacific Lutheran is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. Most students live on the residential campus in suburban Tacoma with a Lutheran church affiliation.
- SAT Range 1040-1260
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,299
Washington State University
- Public 4 Year
- Pullman, WA
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Jan 31 application deadline
WSU is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and communications. Pullman is a classic college town set in the Palouse region of eastern Washington.
- SAT Range 1020-1210
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $18,171
Saint Martin's University
- Private 4 Year
- Lacey, WA
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Jul 31 application deadline
Saint Martin's is a private Benedictine university known for undergraduate engineering, education, and business. The suburban campus sits in Lacey near Washington's state capital of Olympia.
- SAT Range 1025-1230
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $29,116
The Evergreen State College
- Public 4 Year
- Olympia, WA
-
3.7 | 3 reviews
Evergreen is a public liberal arts college known for interdisciplinary programs and environmental studies. The forested campus includes Puget Sound waterfront near Olympia.
- SAT Range 1035-1253
- Avg GPA 3.12
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $18,350
Central Washington University
- Public 4 Year
- Ellensburg, WA
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Central Washington is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and aviation. Ellensburg is a residential college town in the Kittitas Valley of central Washington.
- SAT Range 930-1150
- Avg GPA 3.08
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $19,898
Eastern Washington University
- Public 4 Year
- Cheney, WA
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 10 application deadline
Eastern Washington is a public university known for undergraduate education, business, and health sciences. The residential campus is in Cheney, a small college town near Spokane.
- SAT Range 880-1090
- Avg GPA 3.29
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $14,767
Bellevue College
- Public 4 Year
- Bellevue, WA
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 15 application deadline
Bellevue College is a public community college known for nursing, information technology, and business. The suburban campus sits in Bellevue east of Seattle.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $13,932
Bellingham Technical College
- Public 2 Year
- Bellingham, WA
-
| 0 reviews
Bellingham Technical College is a public technical college known for career-focused programs in nursing, industrial trades, and culinary arts. The campus is located in Bellingham in northwestern Washington.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,294
Big Bend Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Moses Lake, WA
-
| 0 reviews
Big Bend is a community college known for undergraduate aviation and agriculture programs. The campus is in Moses Lake in central Washington's Columbia Basin.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $14,474