Best colleges for education in Washington

    University of Washington-Seattle ranks first in Washington for education value (#1 nationally, value score 91.8): graduates earn $65,217 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $13,663 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 11 Washington colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best education colleges in Washington

    University of Washington-Seattle ranks first in Washington for education value (#1 nationally, value score 91.8): graduates earn $65,217 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $13,663 a year. 11 Washington colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $61,250 and the average net price is $19,963 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 11 Washington colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $61,250 and the average net price is $19,963 a year.
    • The highest education earnings in the state are at Pacific Lutheran University ($66,848), ranked #5 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at Heritage University-Washington: $10,747 a year.
    Median earnings
    $61,250
    National: $48,822
    Median net price
    $19,963
    National: $17,201
    Median federal debt
    $19,504
    education graduates
    Public colleges
    7 of 11
    in this list

    11 colleges

    The Washington ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in Washington 1

      University of Washington-Seattle

      Seattle, WA · Public · #1 nationally

      91.8Value
      Earnings
      $65,217
      Net price
      $13,663
      Federal debt
      $10,372
      Graduation rate
      85%
    2. Rank in Washington 2

      University of Washington-Bothell Campus

      Bothell, WA · Public · #8 nationally

      87.8Value
      Earnings
      $65,217
      Net price
      $13,802
      Federal debt
      $10,372
      Graduation rate
      68%
    3. Rank in Washington 3

      Heritage University-Washington

      Toppenish, WA · Private nonprofit · #13 nationally

      86.0Value
      Earnings
      $60,999
      Net price
      $10,747
      Federal debt
      $13,193
      Graduation rate
      57%
    4. Rank in Washington 4

      Washington State University

      Pullman, WA · Public · #20 nationally

      83.4Value
      Earnings
      $61,304
      Net price
      $13,462
      Federal debt
      $19,999
      Graduation rate
      63%
    5. Rank in Washington 5

      Pacific Lutheran University

      Tacoma, WA · Private nonprofit · #47 nationally

      75.4Value
      Earnings
      $66,848
      Net price
      $20,652
      Federal debt
      $20,758
      Graduation rate
      64%
    6. Rank in Washington 6

      Western Washington University

      Bellingham, WA · Public · #56 nationally

      74.3Value
      Earnings
      $63,072
      Net price
      $19,963
      Federal debt
      $19,758
      Graduation rate
      61%
    7. Rank in Washington 7

      Eastern Washington University

      Cheney, WA · Public · #58 nationally

      73.4Value
      Earnings
      $57,915
      Net price
      $13,647
      Federal debt
      $19,250
      Graduation rate
      43%
    8. Rank in Washington 8

      Central Washington University

      Ellensburg, WA · Public · #101 nationally

      67.3Value
      Earnings
      $59,659
      Net price
      $21,201
      Federal debt
      $18,000
      Graduation rate
      51%
    9. Rank in Washington 9

      Whitworth University

      Spokane, WA · Private nonprofit · #112 nationally

      65.9Value
      Earnings
      $60,010
      Net price
      $23,009
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      67%
    10. Rank in Washington 10

      Saint Martin's University

      Lacey, WA · Private nonprofit · #173 nationally

      58.7Value
      Earnings
      $59,433
      Net price
      $25,472
      Federal debt
      $26,000
      Graduation rate
      56%
    11. Rank in Washington 11

      North Seattle College

      Seattle, WA · Public · #175 nationally

      58.1Value
      Earnings
      $61,250
      Net price
      $21,037
      Federal debt
      Not reported
      Graduation rate
      30%

    Method: the same value score as the national education ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about education colleges in Washington

    What are the best colleges for education in Washington?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Washington colleges for education are University of Washington-Seattle (value score 91.8), University of Washington-Bothell Campus (value score 87.8) and Heritage University-Washington (value score 86). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Washington college has the highest earnings for education graduates?

    Pacific Lutheran University: its education graduates have median earnings of $66,848 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable education college in Washington on this list?

    Heritage University-Washington has the lowest average net price of the ranked Washington colleges, $10,747 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Washington colleges are ranked for education?

    11 Washington colleges have a education bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Washington.