Best colleges in Washington, ranked by ROI

Name: Washington colleges — cost, earnings and ROI rankings
Creator: Degree Dividend

By the Degree Dividend editorial data teamEvery figure verified against its federal source — methodologyData updated June 2026

We rank all 64 Washington institutions we profile by payback years — total net cost divided by earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The state's median net price is $12,027/yr (below the $16,902 national median), and its graduates earn a median $47,799 ten years out (above the $43,549 national median). University of Washington-Tacoma Campus leads, clearing its cost in 1.4 years. (Scorecard, 2026.)

$12,027

Median net price / yr

Scorecard, 2026

$47,799

Median earnings, 10 yrs

Scorecard, 2026

7 yrs

Median payback

Our math, 2026

Colleges ranked

degreedividend.com

Washington colleges by payback (best first)

#	College	Net price/yr	Earnings 10y	Payback
1	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus	$10,163	$78,466	1.4 yrs
2	University of Washington-Bothell Campus	$12,319	$78,466	1.6 yrs
3	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	$14,091	$78,466	1.9 yrs
4	Bellevue College	$11,430	$56,310	2.9 yrs
5	Washington State University	$14,971	$68,905	2.9 yrs
6	Pacific Lutheran University	$19,589	$66,990	4.2 yrs
7	Cascadia College	$12,281	$54,133	4.3 yrs
8	Gonzaga University	$35,119	$78,892	4.6 yrs
9	Shoreline College	$8,585	$52,009	4.7 yrs
10	Seattle University	$34,662	$75,272	5.2 yrs
11	Central Washington University	$18,476	$61,580	5.6 yrs
12	DigiPen Institute of Technology	$44,446	$79,878	5.6 yrs
13	Eastern Washington University	$13,886	$57,897	5.8 yrs
14	Western Washington University	$21,193	$62,569	6 yrs
15	Seattle Pacific University	$24,488	$64,506	6.1 yrs
16	Walla Walla University	$23,329	$61,885	6.9 yrs
17	Whitman College	$33,313	$67,589	6.9 yrs
18	University of Puget Sound	$38,394	$69,594	7.2 yrs
19	Saint Martin's University	$28,119	$62,092	8.2 yrs
20	Perry Technical Institute	$20,047	$57,764	8.5 yrs
21	Whitworth University	$26,534	$58,561	10.4 yrs
22	Green River College	$13,803	$50,712	11.7 yrs
23	Lake Washington Institute of Technology	$6,817	$50,669	11.8 yrs
24	Northwest University	$22,288	$54,914	13.6 yrs
25	Bates Technical College	$6,292	$50,051	14.9 yrs
26	Bellingham Technical College	$5,997	$49,748	17.3 yrs
27	Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education	$35,671	$54,914	21.8 yrs
28	Renton Technical College	$8,296	$49,782	23.3 yrs
29	Faith International University	$22,662	$51,006	34.3 yrs
30	Heritage University	$14,598	$49,416	55.3 yrs
31	Edmonds College	$11,010	$48,144	no payback
32	Highline College	$9,879	$47,869	no payback
33	Pierce College District	$10,222	$47,532	no payback
34	Tacoma Community College	$8,376	$47,168	no payback
35	Columbia Basin College	$8,317	$46,680	no payback
36	North Seattle College	$10,740	$47,728	no payback
37	Everett Community College	$10,684	$45,434	no payback
38	South Puget Sound Community College	$9,132	$45,039	no payback
39	South Seattle College	$6,004	$44,486	no payback
40	Whatcom Community College	$11,795	$44,092	no payback
41	Skagit Valley College	$6,064	$43,505	no payback
42	Big Bend Community College	$12,210	$43,814	no payback
43	Walla Walla Community College	$9,406	$43,526	no payback
44	Olympic College	$7,172	$43,169	no payback
45	Seattle Central College	$8,819	$43,307	no payback
46	Yakima Valley College	$11,843	$43,499	no payback
47	Centralia College	$9,862	$43,140	no payback
48	Spokane Community College	$5,473	$41,984	no payback
49	Clark College	$11,465	$42,356	no payback
50	The Evergreen State College	$24,319	$45,320	no payback
51	Grays Harbor College	$4,783	$40,865	no payback
52	Wenatchee Valley College	$9,722	$41,127	no payback
53	Lower Columbia College	$7,630	$40,691	no payback
54	Clover Park Technical College	$9,864	$41,787	no payback
55	Spokane Falls Community College	$7,409	$38,955	no payback
56	Peninsula College	$9,246	$37,078	no payback
57	Northwest Indian College	$3,136	$35,447	no payback
58	Pima Medical Institute-Seattle	$31,016	$38,673	no payback
59	Pima Medical Institute-Renton	$31,578	$38,673	no payback
60	Carrington College-Spokane	$42,335	$36,625	no payback
61	Evergreen Beauty and Barber College-Everett	$14,149	$26,872	no payback
62	UEI College-Tacoma	$36,850	$30,848	no payback
63	Paul Mitchell the School-Spokane	$22,646	$27,209	no payback
64	Paul Mitchell the School-Richland	$26,617	$27,407	no payback

College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · ranking and payback are our math. Payback uses institution-wide earnings; a specific major can rank very differently.

Colleges in Washington: frequently asked questions

Which college has the best ROI in Washington?

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus. It charges $10,163/yr after aid and its graduates earn a median $78,466 ten years out, clearing the cost in about 1.4 years — the fastest payback of the 64 Washington colleges we track.

How much does college cost in Washington?

The median net price across Washington colleges is $12,027/yr after grants and scholarships — below the $16,902 national median. That is the actual price the typical aided student pays, not the published sticker.

What do Washington college graduates earn?

A median $47,799 ten years after entry (Scorecard), above the $43,549 national median. Earnings vary widely by school and major — see each college's profile for its own figure.

How many Washington colleges pay for themselves?

30 of the 64 Washington colleges we track clear their cost on institution-wide earnings above the high-school baseline. The rest need a high-ROI major to pay off — the school average alone does not.