There are 107 colleges in Washington - 48 public and 59 private schools. At Washington colleges, college Cost of Attendance (COA), which factors in tuition, fees, books, housing, meals, and personal expenses, has risen steadily in the past ten years, reflecting the growing price of higher education.
Washington Colleges Key COA Trends (2016-2025)
The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially at Washington colleges:
- On-Campus: The COA has risen by 28.79%.
- Off-Campus: The COA has risen by 36.29%.
- 2024-2025 Total COA: the average total COA is $33,245 when living on campus and $35,676 when living off campus.
Washington Colleges Tuition & Fees Changes
Tuition and fees saw dramatic increases across institution types:
| Institution Type |
10-Year Increase (2016-2025) |
2025 Average Tuition & Fees |
| Public, In-State |
22.96% (from $5,436 to $6,684) |
$6,684 |
| Public, Out-of-State |
14.92% (from $11,884 to $13,657) |
$13,657 |
| Private Colleges |
19.45% (from $27,409 to $32,740) |
$32,740 |
Note on Degrees: Undergraduate tuition & fees increased by 14.92%, while graduate program tuition & fees increased by 20.94% over the same period.
Living and Other Costs
Living Costs (Room & Board, Other Expenses):
- At Washington colleges, living costs increased by 46.83% for on-campus and 61.26% for off-campus.
- The average living cost for 2024-2025 is $18,780 (on-campus) and $21,211 (off-campus).
Books & Supplies:
- Books and supplies costs have remained relatively stable (-29.12%), with the average cost for 2024-2025 being $808.
COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends
Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 28.79% when living on campus and 36.29% when living off campus at Washington Colleges.
In private Washington Colleges, the COA has increase by 26.58% (on-campus) and 31.31% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the total cost of attendance is $33,245 when a student lives on campus and $35,676 when living off campus at Washington Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for Washington Colleges over the past 10 years.
COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends of Washington Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools |
|---|
| 2015-16 |
$19,366 | $25,814 | $41,339 | $19,729 | $26,177 | $41,702 |
|---|
| 2016-17 |
$19,099
-1.38% | $25,237
-2.24% | $41,729
0.94% | $19,619
-0.56% | $25,757
-1.60% | $42,249
1.31% |
|---|
| 2017-18 |
$19,402
1.59% | $25,318
0.32% | $42,836
2.65% | $19,742
0.63% | $25,658
-0.38% | $43,176
2.19% |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
$20,337
4.82% | $26,862
6.10% | $43,031
0.46% | $20,638
4.54% | $27,163
5.87% | $43,332
0.36% |
|---|
| 2019-20 |
$20,938
2.96% | $27,507
2.40% | $43,498
1.09% | $21,196
2.70% | $27,765
2.22% | $43,756
0.98% |
|---|
| 2020-21 |
$21,508
2.72% | $28,230
2.63% | $44,459
2.21% | $21,651
2.15% | $28,373
2.19% | $44,602
1.93% |
|---|
| 2021-22 |
$22,066
2.59% | $28,934
2.49% | $44,817
0.81% | $21,982
1.53% | $28,850
1.68% | $44,733
0.29% |
|---|
| 2022-23 |
$23,431
6.19% | $30,563
5.63% | $46,334
3.38% | $25,069
14.04% | $32,201
11.62% | $47,972
7.24% |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
$25,071
7.00% | $32,057
4.89% | $48,964
5.68% | $27,129
8.22% | $34,115
5.94% | $51,022
6.36% |
|---|
| 2024-25 |
$26,272
4.79% | $33,245
3.71% | $52,328
6.87% | $28,703
5.80% | $35,676
4.58% | $54,759
7.32% |
|---|
Tuition & Fees Changes
For the current year (2025), the average tuition & fees for Washington Colleges is $7,551 for Washington residents and $14,589 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $33,582.
For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees is $17,067 for Washington residents and $31,784 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $24,761.
The tuition & fees has increased 14.92% for undergraduate programs and 20.94% for graduate programs at Washington Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.
Tuition & Fees Changes for Washington Colleges
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools |
|---|
| 2015-16 |
$5,436 | $11,884 | $27,409 | $12,952 | $25,194 | $19,665 |
|---|
| 2016-17 |
$5,164
-5.00% | $11,302
-4.90% | $27,794
1.40% | $13,061
0.84% | $25,365
0.68% | $20,934
6.45% |
|---|
| 2017-18 |
$5,309
2.81% | $11,225
-0.68% | $28,743
3.41% | $12,989
-0.55% | $25,159
-0.81% | $20,861
-0.35% |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
$5,783
8.93% | $12,308
9.65% | $28,477
-0.93% | $13,315
2.51% | $25,816
2.61% | $20,948
0.42% |
|---|
| 2019-20 |
$5,891
1.87% | $12,460
1.23% | $28,451
-0.09% | $14,596
9.62% | $28,056
8.68% | $20,967
0.09% |
|---|
| 2020-21 |
$6,063
2.92% | $12,785
2.61% | $29,014
1.98% | $14,062
-3.66% | $27,207
-3.03% | $20,935
-0.15% |
|---|
| 2021-22 |
$6,203
2.31% | $13,071
2.24% | $28,954
-0.21% | $14,375
2.23% | $27,745
1.98% | $21,433
2.38% |
|---|
| 2022-23 |
$6,369
2.68% | $13,501
3.29% | $29,272
1.10% | $15,045
4.66% | $29,159
5.10% | $22,384
4.44% |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
$6,536
2.62% | $13,522
0.16% | $30,429
3.95% | $15,457
2.74% | $29,846
2.36% | $23,144
3.40% |
|---|
| 2024-25 |
$6,684
2.26% | $13,657
1.00% | $32,740
7.59% | $15,753
1.91% | $30,470
2.09% | $24,216
4.63% |
|---|
Books & Supplies Costs Changes
For the current year (2025), the average book & supplies costs is $808 for Washington Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2016 to 2025.
Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Washington Colleges
| Year | Books & Supplies |
|---|
| 2015-16 | $1,140 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | $950
-16.67% |
|---|
| 2017-18 | $934
-1.68% |
|---|
| 2018-19 | $929
-0.54% |
|---|
| 2019-20 | $954
2.69% |
|---|
| 2020-21 | $961
0.73% |
|---|
| 2021-22 | $969
0.83% |
|---|
| 2022-23 | $894
-7.74% |
|---|
| 2023-24 | $895
0.11% |
|---|
| 2024-25 | $808
-9.72% |
|---|
Living Costs Changes
For Washington Colleges, the living have increased 39.25% when a student lives on campus facilities and 47.80% when living off campus from year 2016 to 2025. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.
Living Costs Changes for Washington Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| 2015-16 | $12,790 | $13,011 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | $12,985
3.76% | $13,332
4.02% |
|---|
| 2017-18 | $13,159
2.24% | $13,531
0.18% |
|---|
| 2018-19 | $13,625
4.36% | $14,136
2.62% |
|---|
| 2019-20 | $14,093
3.16% | $14,588
2.97% |
|---|
| 2020-21 | $14,484
2.99% | $14,968
2.09% |
|---|
| 2021-22 | $14,894
3.24% | $15,414
0.94% |
|---|
| 2022-23 | $16,168
10.34% | $16,686
26.49% |
|---|
| 2023-24 | $17,640
10.34% | $18,140
12.64% |
|---|
| 2024-25 | $18,780
4.93% | $19,502
5.40% |
|---|