Highest Paying Colleges in Washington (2026)
Updated
Highest Paying Colleges in Washington lists 19 four-year colleges and universities in Washington. Azimuth's return pillar sets the order for these nonprofit institutions, highest first.
City University of Seattle ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $83,698 for its graduates four years after completing. The group includes 6 public and 13 private nonprofit schools.
Of the 19 schools, 6 are public and 13 are private nonprofit, a 32% public share. University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranks 72nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
Eastern Washington University records the lowest average net price on the page at $13,886.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City University of Seattle · Seattle, WA | $83,698 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| City University of Seattle reports median earnings of $83,698 for its graduates four years after completing, and ranks 1st on this list. | |||||
| 2 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $82,515 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| With an admission rate of 39%, University of Washington-Seattle Campus posts a six-year completion rate of 85% and ranks 2nd on this list. | |||||
| 3 | Seattle University · Seattle, WA | $79,426 | $34,662 | $22,896 | 76.9% |
| Seattle University shows an average net price of $34,662 and a six-year completion rate of 76%, ranking 3rd on this list. | |||||
| 4 | Heritage University · Toppenish, WA | $62,898 | $14,598 | $15,114 | Not reported |
| Heritage University graduates 54% of its students within six years, alongside median earnings of $62,898 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Gonzaga University · Spokane, WA | $80,896 | $35,119 | $20,833 | 81.7% |
| Gonzaga University reports median earnings of $80,896 for its graduates four years after completing, and ranks 5th on this list. | |||||
| 6 | Washington State University · Pullman, WA | $73,467 | $14,971 | $7,074 | 86.6% |
| Washington State University admits 87% of applicants and reports an average net price of $14,971, ranking 6th on this list. | |||||
| 7 | Seattle Pacific University · Seattle, WA | $70,115 | $24,488 | $20,735 | 83.4% |
| Seattle Pacific University shows a six-year completion rate of 62% and median earnings of $70,115 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Saint Martin's University · Lacey, WA | $71,704 | $28,119 | $22,810 | 89.8% |
| With an admission rate of 90%, Saint Martin's University reports an average net price of $28,119 and ranks 8th on this list. | |||||
| 9 | Walla Walla University · College Place, WA | $68,868 | $23,329 | $18,675 | Not reported |
| Walla Walla University reports median earnings of $68,868 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 60%. | |||||
| 10 | Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA | $63,444 | $18,476 | $11,846 | 90.6% |
| Central Washington University admits 91% of applicants and reports an average net price of $18,476, ranking 10th on this list. | |||||
| 11 | Pacific Lutheran University · Tacoma, WA | $63,671 | $19,589 | $13,609 | 78.0% |
| Pacific Lutheran University shows a six-year completion rate of 69% and median earnings of $63,671 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Northwest University · Kirkland, WA | $58,404 | $22,288 | $17,996 | 83.2% |
| With an admission rate of 83%, Northwest University reports an average net price of $22,288 and ranks 12th on this list. | |||||
| 13 | Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA | $60,781 | $13,886 | $9,547 | 90.8% |
| Eastern Washington University reports median earnings of $60,781 for its graduates four years after completing, and its average net price of $13,886 is the lowest on this list. | |||||
| 14 | Whitworth University · Spokane, WA | $61,291 | $26,534 | $16,788 | 89.8% |
| Whitworth University admits 90% of applicants and graduates 71% of its students within six years. | |||||
| 15 | Western Washington University · Bellingham, WA | $58,560 | $21,193 | $12,915 | 93.3% |
| A public institution in Bellingham, Western Washington University ranks 533rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | Whitman College · Walla Walla, WA | $56,804 | $33,313 | $13,567 | 38.2% |
| Whitman College posts median earnings of $56,804 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 38%. | |||||
| 17 | University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA | $59,684 | $38,394 | $23,643 | 72.3% |
| University of Puget Sound has an average net price of $23,643 for families earning under $30,000 and a six-year completion rate of 68%. | |||||
| 18 | Bastyr University · Kenmore, WA | $46,794 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Bastyr University ranks 18th on this list, with median earnings of $46,794 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | The Evergreen State College · Olympia, WA | $44,424 | $24,319 | $22,079 | 96.4% |
| The Evergreen State College admits 96% of applicants, the most open admission rate on the page, and graduates 41% within six years. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's return pillar for Washington, highest first. The pillar measures four-year earnings, modeled value added and program earnings relative to national benchmarks, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The ordering metric is the median earnings of each institution's federally aided completers across all fields, measured four years after completing, among those who were working and not enrolled. The list does not measure earnings in any one major or teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 19 schools with a reported completion median. City University of Seattle reports $83,698 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing, and University of Washington-Seattle Campus reports $82,515.