Lowest-Debt Colleges in Washington
Where graduates leave with the least median federal debt — among colleges with solid completion rates.
Showing Washington
Clear state| # | College | Type | 5-yr earnings | Net price | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | DR Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renton Technical College Renton, WA | Public | $40,595 | $8,296 | $7,920 | -222% | Poor return | |
| 2 | Big Bend Community College Moses Lake, WA | Public | $45,789 | $12,210 | $9,166 | -85% | Poor return | |
| 3 | Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee, WA | Public | $41,592 | $9,722 | $10,332 | -180% | Poor return | |
| 4 | South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, WA | Public | $53,192 | $9,132 | $11,000 | +102% | Strong return | |
| 5 | Clover Park Technical College Lakewood, WA | Public | $45,391 | $9,864 | $12,112 | -91% | Poor return | |
| 6 | Heritage University Toppenish, WA | Private | $62,824 | $14,598 | $14,573 | +180% | Strong return | |
| 7 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Public | $82,775 | $14,091 | $14,615 | +512% | Strong return | |
| 8 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA | Public | $82,259 | $12,319 | $14,615 | +582% | Strong return | |
| 9 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA | Public | $75,229 | $10,163 | $14,615 | +558% | Strong return | |
| 10 | Bellingham Technical College Bellingham, WA | Public | $67,066 | $5,997 | $17,459 | +627% | Strong return | |
| 11 | Whitman College Walla Walla, WA | Private | $57,444 | $33,313 | $18,437 | -11% | Poor return | |
| 12 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA | Public | $56,069 | $21,193 | $18,500 | +21% | Break-even | |
| 13 | Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA | Public | $60,029 | $18,476 | $19,500 | +86% | Strong return | |
| 14 | Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA | Public | $59,562 | $13,886 | $19,500 | +132% | Strong return | |
| 15 | Washington State University Pullman, WA | Public | $70,386 | $14,971 | $19,500 | +279% | Strong return | |
| 16 | Seattle University Seattle, WA | Private | $74,891 | $34,662 | $19,883 | +105% | Strong return | |
| 17 | The Evergreen State College Olympia, WA | Public | $59,377 | $24,319 | $20,500 | +37% | Break-even | |
| 18 | Northwest University Kirkland, WA | Private | $64,477 | $22,288 | $20,891 | +101% | Strong return | |
| 19 | Saint Martin's University Lacey, WA | Private | $65,382 | $28,119 | $22,500 | +69% | Strong return | |
| 20 | Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA | Private | $60,568 | $19,589 | $22,578 | +80% | Strong return | |
| 21 | Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA | Private | $79,644 | $24,488 | $24,000 | +225% | Strong return | |
| 22 | Gonzaga University Spokane, WA | Private | $74,248 | $35,119 | $24,454 | +96% | Strong return | |
| 23 | Whitworth University Spokane, WA | Private | $56,384 | $26,534 | $25,000 | -1% | Poor return | |
| 24 | University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA | Private | $65,403 | $38,394 | $25,000 | +25% | Break-even | |
| 25 | Walla Walla University College Place, WA | Private | $75,014 | $23,329 | $26,842 | +191% | Strong return | |
| 26 | DigiPen Institute of Technology Redmond, WA | For-profit | $86,955 | $44,446 | $27,000 | +124% | Strong return |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
Top-Rated Colleges (DR Rating)Best ROI Colleges in the U.S.Best Value CollegesHighest 20-Year ROI CollegesBest Colleges for Economic MobilityHighest-Earning CollegesLowest Net-Price CollegesBest-Rated Majors (DR Rating)Highest-Paying MajorsBest ROI MajorsLowest-Debt MajorsFastest-Growing Majors by Job OutlookMajors With the Most Job Openings