Best Colleges in Washington State of 2023

Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning on the west coast. It's the state's premier public institution and a research powerhouse that is the largest recipient of federal research funding among public universities. On this list, the University of Washington stands out for having the most selective admissions rate and the highest graduation rate among the public schools. The Seattle-based university has 18 schools within it, including those in engineering, business, law, nursing, medicine, dentistry, and international studies. The University of Washington awards about 12,000 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees annually and has an incredibly diverse student body of nearly 50,000. The school has one of the largest selections of registered, student run-organizations in the nation, with over 1,000, ranging from the niche Bagel Club for bagel aficionados to club sports like basketball, sand volleyball, and water polo.

Located along the Spokane River in Washington state, Gonzaga University is a private Jesuit Catholic university founded in 1887. The school has a deep commitment to its traditional humanistic values of human dignity, social justice, diversity, intercultural competence, global engagement, solidarity with the poor, and care for the planet. Gonzaga offers 16 undergraduate degrees, 24 master's degrees, and 5 doctorate degrees through its schools of law, business, education, engineering, arts and sciences, nursing, and leadership. It boasts a high retention rate of 92%, which is well above the national average of 52% for private schools. Although the student body is only around 7,000 students, Gonzaga's Division 1 men's basketball team is a perennial powerhouse that has made six NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances and has had 11 NBA first-round draft picks.

Seattle University is a private Jesuit Catholic school in Seattle's Flint Hill section. The school places a high value on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It has a student body of about 7,200 students, nearly half of whom are from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Among the school's diversity initiatives are Moral Mondays, which features safe conversations on race, an annual Lavender Celebration to recognize the achievements of its LGBTQIA+ students, and an International Student Center. Volunteerism is also a major part of student life at Seattle University - three out of four undergraduates participate in community service, which is three times the national average. Academically, the school offers 120 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs at eight colleges and schools, including those in nursing, theology, law, education, and business.

Washington State University is a public R1 university, which is the highest designation a university can earn for research activity from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. It was founded in 1890 and has 28,500 students studying at the undergraduate and graduate levels across several campuses, Pullman being the largest. As a historical land-grant university, much of WSU's research focuses on agriculture and the environment. Its many research centers include the Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Center; the State of Washington Water Research Center; and the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center. WSU has 10 academic colleges, including the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, and the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.

A medium-sized private school, Seattle Pacific University was founded in 1891 by members of the Free Methodist movement to train international missionaries. Today, the Christain school offers education in a vast range of disciplines for its 3,600 undergraduate and graduate students. The top five most popular undergraduate majors by enrollment are business administration, psychology, nursing, computer science, and communication. Harking back to its roots, the school still places a strong emphasis on global citizenship and encourages students to study abroad. Study abroad programs led by Seattle Pacific University faculty include Holocaust Studies in Prague; Cross-Cultural Psychology in Seoul, South Korea; and Coral Reef Restoration in Bali, Indonesia. Semester-long programs are also available in a wide variety of countries, including Jordan, Lithuania, Ecuador, and China.

The University of Puget Sound is a private liberal arts and sciences university in Tacoma, Washington. Although it was founded by the United Methodist Church in 1888, it is now independent and has a diverse student body of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students from 46 states and countries. The university is in the top 10 nationwide for small universities in terms of the number of Peace Corps members it produces. It is also a top producer of student Fulbright Fellows. The University of Puget Sound embraces experiential learning and encourages students to participate in community-based learning with one of its 250 community partners in the Tacoma area. There are also innovative university outreach projects like the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound where students take a course on the history of punishment and incarceration in America and then tutor people inside the Washington Corrections Center for Women.

Located in the suburban community of Country Homes, just outside Spokane, Washington, Whitworth University is a medium-sized private school affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. The school is committed to providing strong spiritual life services to its 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. There are biweekly chapel services, peer-faith groups, pastoral counselors, campus ministers. and an Emmaus Program, which is a holistic, immersive, and communal Christian discipleship living arrangement. Academically, the university offers over 100 majors, minors, and pre-professional programs, including a Bachelor of Arts in Peace Studies, a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Ministry. The university has an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 100% of incoming students receive some form of financial aid.

Pacific Lutheran University was founded by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants in 1890. Although it retains aspects of its Lutheran heritage - like extending well-being and justice to others - only about 10% of its 3,000 students are Lutheran. The school awards degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, including a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, a Bachelor of Arts in Gender, Sexuality, & Race Studies, and a Master of Business Administration. Pacific Lutheran University is designated as both a Military Friendly School and a Military Spouse Friendly School. Its on-campus Center for Military Student Support provides services for veterans and military-affiliated students, including a private study lounge, work-study opportunities, and a Student Veterans Association.

A private liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington, Whitman College stands out for having the most selective rate of admission and highest graduation rate of all the private schools on this list. It also boasts the best student-to-faculty ratio at 9:1 and the most unique published ratio: student to tree (which is 1:1). The college was founded in 1859 as a seminary but became nonsectarian soon after and remains so today. About 1,500 students from 47 states and 32 countries attend Whitman College, which bestows undergraduate degrees only. Faculty are highly accessible, encourage collaboration, and are distinguished in their fields. Among professors, you'll find many Fulbright Fellows and recipients of grants from many esteemed bodies, including the National Institutes of Health and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Western Washington University is a medium-sized public school that has the distinction of being the northernmost university in the lower 48 states. Located in Bellingham, it has about 15,000 students, 87% of whom are residents of Washington state. The school is bordered by an arboretum with 180 acres of woods, six miles of trails, and abundant research opportunities. Western Washington University has seven schools, including the College of Fine and Performing Arts, Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Woodring College of Education. It offers a large variety of scholarships, including those for special populations like out-of-state students, transfer students, and international students. More than 60% of students at Western Washington University receive some sort of financial aid.