POPULATION (2021): 7.8 million
CAPITAL: Olympia
LARGEST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON: University of Washington
LARGEST PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON: Gonzaga University
The most northwest of the Pacific Northwest states, Washington is a large state with huge mountains, endless acreage of national parks and forests, and all the opportunities for exploration you can imagine. If you’re not the outdoors type, however, there are still several things that may be appealing about going to college in Washington, especially in one of the larger cities like Seattle.
Washington’s own Sea-Tac Bay Area (Seattle/Tacoma) is quickly becoming a rival of Northern California’s Bay Area when it comes to the tech industry. Unfortunately, the downside of that is increases in cost of living in places where tech is booming, such as Seattle, but it also means a lot more opportunities to make some money after college!
Universities in Washington- 4-Year Colleges and Online
Washington is huge on the map, but outside of the Seattle area, the population is quite spread out, and downright nonexistent in much of the eastern part of the mountainous state. With that in mind, there aren’t a ton of options for 4-year degrees in Washington, but both the private and public universities are considered some of the best in the country.
Public Universities in Washington
Washington has 6 publicly funded universities, each with multiple campuses, that offer 4-year degrees. The University of Washington is, by far, the largest, with nearly 60,000 students enrolled across its 3 campuses. Here is a list of the others:
- Washington State University (5 campuses)
- Western Washington University (6 campuses)
- Eastern Washington University (4 campuses)
- Central Washington University (9 campuses)
- Evergreen State College (3 campuses)
Private Universities in Washington
None of the private universities in Washington come anywhere near the enrollment numbers at UW, but all 10 of these private universities offer 4-year degrees to students in Washington state.
- Gonzaga University (Spokane)
- City University of Seattle (Seattle)
- Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma)
- Whitworth University (Spokane)
- University of Puget Sound (Tacoma)
- Walla Walla University (College Place)
- Whitman College (Walla Walla)
- Bastyr University (Kenmore)
- Antioch University (Seattle)
- Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle)
Community Colleges in Washington
Here is a list of all of the community colleges in Washington that offer 2-year options for students.
- Bates Technical College (Tacoma)
- Bellevue College (Bellevue)
- Bellingham Technical College
- Big Bend Community College (Moses Lake)
- Cascadia College (Bothell)
- Centralia College
- Clark College (Vancouver)
- Clover Park Technical College (Lakewood)
- Columbia Basin College (2 campuses)
- Spokane Community College (Spokane
- Spokane Falls Community College (Spokane)
- Edmonds College (Lynnwood)
- Everett Community College (Everett)
- Grays Harbor College (Aberdeen)
- Green River College (3 campuses)
- Highline College (2 campuses)
- Lake Washington Institute of Technology (2 campuses)
- Lower Columbia College (Longview)
- Olympic College (3 campuses)
- Peninsula College (3 campuses)
- Pierce College (3 campuses)
- Renton Technical College
- North Seattle College
- Seattle Central College
- Seattle Vocational Institute
- South Seattle College
- Shoreline Community College
- Skagit Valley College (Mount Vernon)
- South Puget Sound Community College (Olympia)
- Tacoma Community College
- Walla Walla Community College
- Wenatchee Valley College
- Whatcom Community College (Bellingham)
- Yakima Valley College
Prominent Online Colleges in Washington
Washington State’s “Global Campus” is a big part of its large enrollment, and it offers more than 20 fully online degrees to students throughout the large state and is very beneficial for students who live in some of the more remote areas. The other state schools are following suit and offering some online degrees as well as several hybrid programs all across fields of study.
Universities in Seattle, WA
Seattle is the biggest city in the state of Washington, and as such has several 4-year colleges and universities for students to choose from. Here they are:
- Antioch University
- City University of Seattle
- Cornish College of the Arts
- North Seattle College
- Seattle Central College
- Seattle Film Institute
- South Seattle College
- UW-Seattle
Universities in Spokane, WA
Gonzaga is the largest private university in Washington and is located in the city of Spokane, as is Whitworth University, which also offers 4-year degrees. Both campuses of the Spokane Community College also offer some 4-year degree programs.
Universities in Tacoma, WA
Tacoma is the sister city of Seattle, and together they create the Sea-Tac area, which is the most populous region of the state. Here are the 4-year colleges located in Tacoma:
- UW-Tacoma
- Pacific Lutheran University
- Faith International University
- Tacoma Community College (some 4-year programs)
- The University of Puget Sound
Get to Know Washington
The phrase may be overused, but Washington does have something for everyone. Seattle is home to some of the pacemakers of several of the most profitable industries in the country, including tech, defense, and aviation. However, it is also a Northwest hub for the arts and cultural diversity, including some of the best food on the West Coast.
Outside of the cities, however, there is endless wilderness, most of which can be enjoyed throughout the year, even though the state does share a border with Canada. Beauty is in no short supply in Washington, but neither are things to do that involve interaction with your fellow students.