Best colleges for nursing in Washington

    University of Washington-Seattle ranks first in Washington for nursing value (#20 nationally, value score 85.7): graduates earn $98,632 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 · 13 Washington colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best nursing colleges in Washington

    University of Washington-Seattle ranks first in Washington for nursing value (#20 nationally, value score 85.7): graduates earn $98,632 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $13,663 a year. 13 Washington colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $93,424 and the average net price is $18,271 a year.

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

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 13 Washington colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $93,424 and the average net price is $18,271 a year.
    • The highest nursing earnings in the state are at Olympic College ($110,085), ranked #5 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at Olympic College: $10,370 a year.
    Median earnings
    $93,424
    National: $85,171
    Median net price
    $18,271
    National: $18,014
    Median federal debt
    $19,250
    nursing graduates
    Public colleges
    7 of 13
    in this list

    13 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 · #20 nationally

      85.7Value
      Earnings
      $98,632
      Net price
      $13,663
      Federal debt
      $12,500
      Graduation rate
      85%
    2. Rank in Washington 2

      University of Washington-Bothell Campus

      Bothell, WA · Public · #27 nationally

      82.7Value
      Earnings
      $98,632
      Net price
      $13,802
      Federal debt
      $12,500
      Graduation rate
      68%
    3. Rank in Washington 3

      University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

      Tacoma, WA · Public · #28 nationally

      82.4Value
      Earnings
      $98,632
      Net price
      $11,900
      Federal debt
      $12,500
      Graduation rate
      60%
    4. Rank in Washington 4

      Washington State University

      Pullman, WA · Public · #53 nationally

      75.1Value
      Earnings
      $91,495
      Net price
      $13,462
      Federal debt
      $14,000
      Graduation rate
      63%
    5. Rank in Washington 5

      Olympic College

      Bremerton, WA · Public · #55 nationally

      74.5Value
      Earnings
      $110,085
      Net price
      $10,370
      Federal debt
      Not reported
      Graduation rate
      33%
    6. Rank in Washington 6

      Pacific Lutheran University

      Tacoma, WA · Private nonprofit · #170 nationally

      62.9Value
      Earnings
      $91,528
      Net price
      $20,652
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      64%
    7. Rank in Washington 7

      Seattle University

      Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit · #259 nationally

      55.2Value
      Earnings
      $90,918
      Net price
      $34,324
      Federal debt
      $19,000
      Graduation rate
      71%
    8. Rank in Washington 8

      Walla Walla University

      College Place, WA · Private nonprofit · #261 nationally

      55.1Value
      Earnings
      $101,497
      Net price
      $27,786
      Federal debt
      $26,500
      Graduation rate
      58%
    9. Rank in Washington 9

      Bellevue College-Washington

      Bellevue, WA · Public · #276 nationally

      54.5Value
      Earnings
      $93,424
      Net price
      $18,271
      Federal debt
      Not reported
      Graduation rate
      31%
    10. Rank in Washington 10

      Wenatchee Valley College

      Wenatchee, WA · Public · #291 nationally

      53.4Value
      Earnings
      $90,618
      Net price
      $16,742
      Federal debt
      Not reported
      Graduation rate
      36%
    11. Rank in Washington 11

      Northwest University-Washington

      Kirkland, WA · Private nonprofit · #292 nationally

      53.4Value
      Earnings
      $89,673
      Net price
      $22,071
      Federal debt
      $23,497
      Graduation rate
      67%
    12. Rank in Washington 12

      Gonzaga University

      Spokane, WA · Private nonprofit · #293 nationally

      53.3Value
      Earnings
      $95,155
      Net price
      $32,750
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      85%
    13. Rank in Washington 13

      Seattle Pacific University

      Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit · #338 nationally

      50.1Value
      Earnings
      $93,334
      Net price
      $25,419
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      55%

    Method: the same value score as the national nursing 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 nursing colleges in Washington

    What are the best colleges for nursing in Washington?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Washington colleges for nursing are University of Washington-Seattle (value score 85.7), University of Washington-Bothell Campus (value score 82.7) and University of Washington-Tacoma Campus (value score 82.4). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Washington college has the highest earnings for nursing graduates?

    Olympic College: its nursing graduates have median earnings of $110,085 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

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

    Olympic College has the lowest average net price of the ranked Washington colleges, $10,370 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Washington colleges are ranked for nursing?

    13 Washington colleges have a nursing 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.