Best Colleges in Washington by ROI
Trying to find the best value in Washington? We ranked all 24 colleges we track here on what graduates actually earn versus what families actually pay, using U.S. Department of Education data. University of Washington-Seattle Campus comes out on top at 94/100 - here's how every school compares.
We scored all 24 Washington colleges in our dataset from 0 to 100 on one thing: financial return. The state averages 62/100, on an average net price of $24,546 a year after grants and scholarships. The school that does best by your money is University of Washington-Seattle Campus at 94/100.
Graduates of DigiPen Institute of Technology earn the most ten years out of any school in the state, a median $79,878. The lightest price tag belongs to University of Washington-Tacoma Campus at $10,163 a year. The list below ranks every Washington college we scored by ROI, so you can weigh what you'd pay against what you'd likely earn.
Top 10 Washington Colleges by ROI Score
- 1University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, WA · PublicNet price$14,091/yrMedian earnings$78,46694ROI
- 2University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell, WA · PublicNet price$12,319/yrMedian earnings$78,46691ROI
- 3University of Washington-Tacoma CampusTacoma, WA · PublicNet price$10,163/yrMedian earnings$78,46691ROI
- 4Washington State UniversityPullman, WA · PublicNet price$14,971/yrMedian earnings$68,90584ROI
- 5Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA · Private NonprofitNet price$35,119/yrMedian earnings$78,89281ROI
- 6Seattle UniversitySeattle, WA · Private NonprofitNet price$34,662/yrMedian earnings$75,27279ROI
- 7Pacific Lutheran UniversityTacoma, WA · Private NonprofitNet price$19,589/yrMedian earnings$66,99076ROI
- 8Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA · PublicNet price$21,193/yrMedian earnings$62,56972ROI
- 9Whitman CollegeWalla Walla, WA · Private NonprofitNet price$33,313/yrMedian earnings$67,58972ROI
- 10Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA · PublicNet price$18,476/yrMedian earnings$61,58068ROI
Washington College ROI: Common Questions
What is the best-value college in Washington?
University of Washington-Seattle Campus has the highest ROI score in Washington at 94/100, while the lowest net price among Washington schools we track is $10,163/year at University of Washington-Tacoma Campus. Rankings are based on net price and median graduate earnings from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
How much does college cost in Washington?
The average net price across the 24 Washington colleges in our dataset is $24,546 per year, after grants and scholarships are applied. Actual cost varies widely by family income and institution.
Which Washington college has the highest graduate earnings?
DigiPen Institute of Technology reports the highest median earnings among Washington schools we scored, at $79,878 ten years after enrollment. Higher earnings do not always mean better ROI, since cost matters just as much.
How many colleges in Washington did CampusROI analyze?
We scored 24 colleges in Washington on return on investment. Of those, 16 earn an ROI score of 60 or higher. See our methodology for how each score is calculated.
All Washington Schools by ROI Score
24 schools
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA
Washington State University
Pullman, WA
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA
Seattle University
Seattle, WA
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle, WA
DigiPen Institute of Technology
Redmond, WA
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, WA
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, WA
Walla Walla University
College Place, WA
Northwest University
Kirkland, WA
Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA
Whitworth University
Spokane, WA
Heritage University
Toppenish, WA
Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education
Kirkland, WA
Faith International University
Tacoma, WA
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA
Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, WA
Northwest College of Art & Design
Tacoma, WA
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release