State Rankings
Best Colleges in Washington
Top colleges in Washington ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes, updated 2026.
Top Colleges in Washington
Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.
| State # | School | Grad Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington Seattle#27 national | $78,466 |
| 2 | Gonzaga University Spokane#101 national | $78,892 |
| 3 | Whitman College Walla Walla#156 national | $67,589 |
| 4 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell#183 national | $78,466 |
| 5 | Seattle University Seattle#241 national | $75,272 |
| 6 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma#245 national | $78,466 |
| 7 | Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma#315 national | $66,990 |
| 8 | Washington State University Pullman#342 national | $68,905 |
| 9 | Western Washington University Bellingham#413 national | $62,569 |
| 10 | Walla Walla University College Place#483 national | $61,885 |
| 11 | Whitworth University Spokane#537 national | $58,561 |
| 12 | University of Puget Sound Tacoma#551 national | $69,594 |
| 13 | Seattle Pacific University Seattle#600 national | $64,506 |
| 14 | Renton Technical College Renton#628 national | $49,782 |
| 15 | Saint Martin's University Lacey#653 national | $62,092 |
| 16 | Bates Technical College Tacoma#683 national | $50,051 |
| 17 | Shoreline Community College Shoreline#729 national | $52,009 |
| 18 | Central Washington University Ellensburg#831 national | $61,580 |
| 19 | Bellingham Technical College Bellingham#852 national | $49,748 |
| 20 | Perry Technical Institute Yakima#880 national | $57,764 |
| 21 | Northwest University Kirkland#887 national | $54,914 |
| 22 | Cascadia College Bothell#979 national | $54,133 |
| 23 | Bellevue College Bellevue#994 national | $56,310 |
| 24 | Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland#1000 national | $50,669 |
| 25 | South Puget Sound Community College Olympia#1002 national | $45,039 |
| 26 | Eastern Washington University Cheney#1057 national | $57,897 |
| 27 | Green River College Auburn#1156 national | $50,712 |
| 28 | Walla Walla Community College Walla Walla#1253 national | $43,526 |
| 29 | Highline College Des Moines#1319 national | $47,869 |
| 30 | Centralia College Centralia#1352 national | $43,140 |
| 31 | North Seattle College Seattle#1404 national | $47,728 |
| 32 | Tacoma Community College Tacoma#1507 national | $47,168 |
| 33 | Clover Park Technical College Lakewood#1550 national | $41,787 |
| 34 | Everett Community College Everett#1551 national | $45,434 |
| 35 | Pierce College District Lakewood#1591 national | $47,532 |
| 36 | Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon#1596 national | $43,505 |
| 37 | Edmonds College Lynnwood#1604 national | $48,144 |
| 38 | Spokane Community College Spokane#1637 national | $41,984 |
| 39 | Whatcom Community College Bellingham#1640 national | $44,092 |
| 40 | Columbia Basin College Pasco#1660 national | $46,680 |
| 41 | Seattle Central College Seattle#1674 national | $43,307 |
| 42 | Olympic College Bremerton#1719 national | $43,169 |
| 43 | Heritage University Toppenish#1761 national | $49,416 |
| 44 | Big Bend Community College Moses Lake#1769 national | $43,814 |
| 45 | Clark College Vancouver#1836 national | $42,356 |
| 46 | Yakima Valley College Yakima#1898 national | $43,499 |
| 47 | South Seattle College Seattle#1904 national | $44,486 |
| 48 | Grays Harbor College Aberdeen#1915 national | $40,865 |
| 49 | Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee#1924 national | $41,127 |
| 50 | Peninsula College Port Angeles#2095 national | $37,078 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.
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