Colleges in Washington
All 74 degree-granting colleges in Washington, sorted by published in-state tuition. Click any column header to re-sort.
Colleges
74
42 public
Cheapest
$3,928
Spokane Community College
Median
$5,979
in-state, per year
Most expensive
$58,622
Whitman College
Cities
37
with colleges
The gap between the cheapest and most expensive college in Washington is $54,694 per year — about $218,776 over a four-year degree.
All 74 colleges, cheapest first
| College | In-state | Out-of-state | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spokane Community CollegePublicSpokane · Less than 2-year | $3,928 | $3,928 | Public |
| 2 | Spokane Falls Community CollegePublicSpokane · Less than 2-year | $3,928 | $3,928 | Public |
| 3 | Northwest Indian CollegePublicBellingham · Less than 2-year | $3,969 | $3,969 | Public |
| 4 | Bellingham Technical CollegePublicBellingham · Less than 2-year | $4,095 | $4,095 | Public |
| 5 | Everett Community CollegePublicEverett · 2-year | $4,152 | $4,152 | Public |
| 6 | Bellevue CollegePublicBellevue · Less than 2-year | $4,159 | $4,159 | Public |
| 7 | Shoreline Community CollegePublicShoreline · 2-year | $4,256 | $4,256 | Public |
| 8 | Lower Columbia CollegePublicLongview · Less than 2-year | $4,261 | $4,261 | Public |
| 9 | Edmonds CollegePublicLynnwood · Less than 2-year | $4,309 | $4,309 | Public |
| 10 | Green River CollegePublicAuburn · Less than 2-year | $4,434 | $4,434 | Public |
| 11 | Peninsula CollegePublicPort Angeles · Less than 2-year | $4,439 | $4,439 | Public |
| 12 | Highline CollegePublicDes Moines · Less than 2-year | $4,458 | $4,458 | Public |
| 13 | Olympic CollegePublicBremerton · Less than 2-year | $4,472 | $4,472 | Public |
| 14 | Clark CollegePublicVancouver · Less than 2-year | $4,529 | $4,529 | Public |
| 15 | Pierce College DistrictPublicLakewood · Less than 2-year | $4,539 | $4,539 | Public |
| 16 | Grays Harbor CollegePublicAberdeen · Less than 2-year | $4,605 | $4,605 | Public |
| 17 | Cascadia CollegePublicBothell · Less than 2-year | $4,678 | $4,678 | Public |
| 18 | Lake Washington Institute of TechnologyPublicKirkland · Less than 2-year | $4,710 | $4,710 | Public |
| 19 | Big Bend Community CollegePublicMoses Lake · Less than 2-year | $4,744 | $4,744 | Public |
| 20 | Skagit Valley CollegePublicMount Vernon · Less than 2-year | $4,748 | $4,748 | Public |
| 21 | South Seattle CollegePublicSeattle · Less than 2-year | $4,865 | $4,865 | Public |
| 22 | Seattle Central CollegePublicSeattle · Less than 2-year | $4,865 | $4,865 | Public |
| 23 | Centralia CollegePublicCentralia · Less than 2-year | $4,891 | $4,891 | Public |
| 24 | Tacoma Community CollegePublicTacoma · Less than 2-year | $4,901 | $4,901 | Public |
| 25 | South Puget Sound Community CollegePublicOlympia · 2-year | $4,938 | $4,938 | Public |
| 26 | Walla Walla Community CollegePublicWalla Walla · Less than 2-year | $4,965 | $4,965 | Public |
| 27 | Wenatchee Valley CollegePublicWenatchee · Less than 2-year | $4,968 | $4,968 | Public |
| 28 | Whatcom Community CollegePublicBellingham · Less than 2-year | $4,982 | $4,982 | Public |
| 29 | Yakima Valley CollegePublicYakima · Less than 2-year | $4,998 | $4,998 | Public |
| 30 | North Seattle CollegePublicSeattle · Less than 2-year | $5,058 | $5,058 | Public |
| 31 | Bates Technical CollegePublicTacoma · 2-year | $5,361 | $5,361 | Public |
| 32 | Renton Technical CollegePublicRenton · Less than 2-year | $5,784 | $5,784 | Public |
| 33 | Columbia Basin CollegePublicPasco · Less than 2-year | $5,959 | $5,959 | Public |
| 34 | Clover Park Technical CollegePublicLakewood · Less than 2-year | $5,979 | $5,979 | Public |
| 35 | Eastern Washington UniversityPublicCheney · Less than 2-year | $8,139 | $8,139 | Public |
| 36 | Faith International UniversityPrivateTacoma · Less than 2-year | $8,685 | $8,685 | Private nonprofit |
| 37 | The Evergreen State CollegePublicOlympia · Less than 2-year | $8,750 | $8,750 | Public |
| 38 | Central Washington UniversityPublicEllensburg · Less than 2-year | $8,845 | $8,845 | Public |
| 39 | Western Washington UniversityPublicBellingham · Less than 2-year | $8,967 | $8,967 | Public |
| 40 | Pacific Northwest Christian CollegePrivateKennewick · 2-year | $11,175 | $11,175 | Private nonprofit |
| 41 | Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended EducationPrivateKirkland · Less than 2-year | $12,210 | $12,210 | Private nonprofit |
| 42 | University of Washington-Bothell CampusPublicBothell · Less than 2-year | $12,224 | $12,224 | Public |
| 43 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusPublicSeattle · Less than 2-year | $12,242 | $12,242 | Public |
| 44 | University of Washington-Tacoma CampusPublicTacoma · Less than 2-year | $12,458 | $12,458 | Public |
| 45 | Washington State UniversityPublicPullman · Less than 2-year | $12,701 | $12,701 | Public |
| 46 | Whitworth University-Adult Degree ProgramsPrivateSpokane · Less than 2-year | $13,440 | $13,440 | Private nonprofit |
| 47 | City University of SeattlePrivateSeattle · Less than 2-year | $13,558 | $13,558 | Private nonprofit |
| 48 | Great Northern UniversityPrivateSpokane · Less than 2-year | $16,500 | $16,500 | Private nonprofit |
| 49 | Charter CollegeFor-profitVancouver · Less than 2-year | $16,784 | $16,784 | Private for-profit |
| 50 | Northwest School of Wooden Boat BuildingPrivatePort Hadlock · 2-year | $16,800 | $16,800 | Private nonprofit |
| 51 | Northwest College of Art & DesignFor-profitTacoma · Less than 2-year | $18,100 | $18,100 | Private for-profit |
| 52 | Antioch University-SeattlePrivateSeattle · Less than 2-year | $19,410 | $19,410 | Private nonprofit |
| 53 | Heritage UniversityPrivateToppenish · Less than 2-year | $19,500 | $19,500 | Private nonprofit |
| 54 | Bastyr UniversityPrivateKenmore · Less than 2-year | $29,280 | $29,280 | Private nonprofit |
| 55 | Walla Walla UniversityPrivateCollege Place · Less than 2-year | $31,758 | $31,758 | Private nonprofit |
| 56 | Seattle Film InstituteFor-profitSeattle · Less than 2-year | $33,000 | $33,000 | Private for-profit |
| 57 | Northwest UniversityPrivateKirkland · Less than 2-year | $35,000 | $35,000 | Private nonprofit |
| 58 | DigiPen Institute of TechnologyFor-profitRedmond · Less than 2-year | $35,900 | $35,900 | Private for-profit |
| 59 | Cornish College of the ArtsPrivateSeattle · Less than 2-year | $36,844 | $36,844 | Private nonprofit |
| 60 | Seattle Pacific UniversityPrivateSeattle · Less than 2-year | $37,158 | $37,158 | Private nonprofit |
| 61 | Saint Martin's UniversityPrivateLacey · Less than 2-year | $42,220 | $42,220 | Private nonprofit |
| 62 | Whitworth UniversityPrivateSpokane · Less than 2-year | $48,990 | $48,990 | Private nonprofit |
| 63 | Pacific Lutheran UniversityPrivateTacoma · Less than 2-year | $50,256 | $50,256 | Private nonprofit |
| 64 | Gonzaga UniversityPrivateSpokane · Less than 2-year | $50,735 | $50,735 | Private nonprofit |
| 65 | Seattle UniversityPrivateSeattle · Less than 2-year | $51,324 | $51,324 | Private nonprofit |
| 66 | University of Puget SoundPrivateTacoma · Less than 2-year | $57,626 | $57,626 | Private nonprofit |
| 67 | Whitman CollegePrivateWalla Walla · Less than 2-year | $58,622 | $58,622 | Private nonprofit |
| 68 | Carrington College-SpokaneFor-profitSpokane · 2-year | — | — | Private for-profit |
| 69 | Pacific Northwest University of Health SciencesPrivateYakima · Less than 2-year | — | — | Private nonprofit |
| 70 | Perry Technical InstitutePrivateYakima · 2-year | — | — | Private nonprofit |
| 71 | Pima Medical Institute-RentonFor-profitRenton · 2-year | — | — | Private for-profit |
| 72 | Pima Medical Institute-SeattleFor-profitSeattle · 2-year | — | — | Private for-profit |
| 73 | Seattle Institute of East Asian MedicinePrivateSeattle · Less than 2-year | — | — | Private nonprofit |
| 74 | The Seattle School of Theology & PsychologyPrivateSeattle · Less than 2-year | — | — | Private nonprofit |
By city
Questions
What is the cheapest college in Washington?
Spokane Community College in Spokane, at $3,928 per year for in-state students. The next cheapest are Spokane Falls Community College ($3,928), Northwest Indian College ($3,969), Bellingham Technical College ($4,095).
How much does college cost in Washington?
The median published in-state tuition is $5,979 per year across 67 colleges that reported. Community colleges sit at the low end; private four-year schools at the high end. Remember this is tuition and fees only — housing, food and books are extra.
Public or private — which is cheaper?
Public colleges usually have a much lower sticker price for state residents because taxpayers subsidize them. But private colleges often give larger scholarships, so the net price can end up similar. Always compare after aid, not before.
Do I have to live in Washington to get in-state tuition?
Generally yes, and the rules are stricter than people expect. Most states require 12 months of residency for reasons other than education, plus proof like a driver's license, voter registration and tax filings. Check the specific school's residency policy.
About this data
Every figure comes from IPEDS 2022 — the survey every U.S. college receiving federal student aid must complete. We list published tuition and fees for full-time undergraduates. Schools that did not report tuition appear at the bottom with a dash. Confirm current pricing on each school's website before applying.