Washington has 106 colleges including 75 four-year colleges, 10 community colleges, and 21 trade schools. By control type, 48 schools are public and 58 schools are private. 335,677 students enrolled in Washington colleges according to IPEDS.
For 4-year colleges, commonly said to as colleges, there are 75 schools are active in Washington (46 public and 29 private). 328,843 students enrolled in the schools, by gender, 146,210 men and 182,633 women students.
These colleges have an average acceptance rate of 75.04% and an average SAT score of 1,245. The average tuition & fees for in-state students is $6,624 and for out-of-state students is $13,593. The average enrollment is about 4,385 students per college. On average, each college offers about 90 programs.
The following table lists major colleges in Washington that have high enrollment, good academic reputation, and recognized by Washington residents. It includes 7 public institutions and 6 private institutions.
| Region | Prominent Institutions |
|---|---|
| Seattle Area | University of Washington-Seattle Campus (Seattle), Seattle University (Seattle), Seattle Pacific University (Seattle) |
| Eastern Washington | Washington State University (Pullman), Gonzaga University (Spokane), Eastern Washington University (Cheney) |
| Western Washington | Western Washington University (Bellingham) |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus, located in Seattle, is generally considered the flagship institution in Washington. It offers wide range of programs in both undergraduate and graduate levels, including 447 graduate programs and 19 online programs. Its total enrollment is approximately 56,997 including 1,656 online students.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus has the highest enrollment among these colleges, with a student population of 56,997 students. It offers the largest number of programs of 698.
Of the major colleges in Washington, 3 law schools and 2 medical schools are affiliated with these colleges. University of Washington-Seattle Campus has both a law school and a medical school. You can check the law schools and medical schools in the table below.
| Name | Graduate Programs | Distance Learning | Tuition & Fees | Adm. Rate | SAT Score | Enroll | Offered Programs | Law School | Medical School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle | Yes | Yes | $43,209 | 39.15% | 56,997 | 698 | Visit | Visit | |
| University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell | Yes | Yes | $43,155 | 90.60% | 6,058 | 56 | |||
| Washington State University Pullman | Yes | Yes | $29,950 | 86.64% | 25,685 | 379 | Visit | ||
| Western Washington University Bellingham | Yes | Yes | $28,707 | 93.25% | 1280 | 14,710 | 156 | ||
| Seattle University Seattle | Yes | Yes | $56,721 | 76.92% | 1310 | 7,189 | 229 | Visit | |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma | Yes | Yes | $43,404 | 82.52% | 4,965 | 64 | |||
| Gonzaga University Spokane | Yes | Yes | $55,480 | 81.69% | 1290 | 7,470 | 89 | Visit | |
| Central Washington University Ellensburg | Yes | Yes | $27,526 | 90.62% | 10,811 | 149 | |||
| Northwest University Kirkland | Yes | Yes | $36,035 | 83.20% | 1150 | 1,053 | 47 | ||
| Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma | Yes | Yes | $50,916 | 78.02% | 1160 | 2,797 | 51 | ||
| Whitman College Walla Walla | No | No | $64,050 | 38.15% | 1410 | 1,561 | 76 | ||
| The Evergreen State College Olympia | Yes | Yes | $31,905 | 96.37% | 1190 | 2,490 | 27 | ||
| University of Puget Sound Tacoma | Yes | Yes | $62,898 | 72.25% | 1280 | 1,864 | 62 |