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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