Why This Matters
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41 COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN WASHINGTON STATE
In Washington State, there are 41 community colleges with associate degree programs, which gives prospective students plenty of options when choosing a school.
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$4,925 AVERAGE TUITION & FEES
The average tuition and fees for in-district WA students during the 2022-2023 school year was $4,925.
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80.6% OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID
The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that 370,718 students attending two-year institutions during the 2020-21 school year received some type of financial aid.
Our Research
This list features some of the best community colleges in Washington State. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. We included small, midsize, and large colleges as well as trade, technical, and vocational programs. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The colleges on our list are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), a reputable organization that examines objectives, quality and overall effectiveness of education programs in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Online College Programs That Might Interest You
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The Top 50 Community Colleges in Washington State

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What You Should Know About Graduating From Community College in Washington State
If you’re unsure which two-year community college program to choose, consider career fields with the highest earning potential. Based on data from 2021, the best-paying careers in Washington that require only an associate degree are air traffic controllers, aerospace engineering technicians, and radiation therapists. Dental hygienists and nuclear medicine technologists are close behind.
When it comes to career fields with the most job openings in Washington that require an associate degree, there are a variety of industries from which to choose. Preschool teachers, paralegals, dental hygienists, and computer network support specialists rank as the professions with the largest number of available jobs.
But by that same line of thinking, it’s also helpful to know which occupations have the highest rate of decline. The most rapidly declining careers in Washington state for associate program graduates are avionics technicians, electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists, aerospace engineering technicians, and industrial engineering technologists.
What’s Next?
If you’re seriously considering an associate degree in Washington state, it’s smart to start looking into financial aid now. Check out these state and federal resources for associate degree students, which will direct you to scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial assistance.
- Washington State Higher Education Agency. This agency directs prospective students to financial aid opportunities in the state of Washington, which include need-based and merit-based programs.
- Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Billions in student aid are provided each year by the U.S. Department of Education through the office of Federal Student Aid. This assistance comes in the form of various types of loans, grants and scholarships. You can check eligibility at the official website, which is also where you can complete your FAFSA application.
- CareerOneStop. Find information about loans, grants, and scholarships at this site, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. The data can be filtered to only show financial programs and resources for associate degree students in Washington, so you can narrow down your options.