Top Ranked Colleges: Universities | Public Universities | Liberal Arts Colleges | Engineering | Business | Women's | Most Selective
Washington State offers a wide range of options for higher education. From large research universities to small liberal arts colleges, Washington is home to a little of everything. The 11 top Washington colleges listed below vary so much in size and mission that I have simply listed them alphabetically rather than force them into any sort of artificial ranking. That said, Whitman College is the most selective school on the list.
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Evergreen State College
lil_azorean / Flickr
- Location: Olympia, Washington
- Enrollment: 4,891 (4,551 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public liberal arts college
- Distinctions: large 1,000-acre campus surrounded by woods; written evaluations, not grades; highly innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum; one of only a few schools to receive Sierra Club's "A+" rating for green efforts
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Evergreen State College profile
Gonzaga University
Christine Salek / Flickr
- Location: Spokane, Washington
- Enrollment: 7,633 (4,729 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Catholic university
- Distinctions: educational philosophy focuses on the whole person -- mind, body and spirit; ranks highly among master's institutions in the West; member of the NCAA Division I West Coast Conference; good grant aid
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Gonzaga University profile
Pacific Lutheran University
cvconnell / Flickr
- Location: Parkland, Washington
- Enrollment: 3,581 (3,305 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private university affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Distinctions: good grant aid; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; active study abroad programs; strong mix of liberal arts and professional programs for a small university
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Pacific Lutheran University profile
Seattle Pacific University
cincodenada06 / Flickr
- Location: Seattle, Washington
- Enrollment: 4,000 (3,016 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private university affiliated with the Free Methodist Church of North America
- Distinctions: 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio; most classes have under 30 students; good grant aid; strong Christian identity; member of the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Seattle Pacific University profile
Seattle University
Christine Salek / Flickr
- Location: Seattle, Washington
- Enrollment: 7,751 (4,306 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Jesuit university
- Distinctions: 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 19 students; students come from all 50 states and 76 other countries; located in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood; competes in the NCAA Division I
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Seattle University profile
University of Puget Sound
The Kevin / Flickr
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
- Enrollment: 2,879 (2,606 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: small private university
- Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; good grant aid; easy access to both the city and the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Puget Sound profile
University of Washington Seattle
Ken Lund / Flickr
- Location: Seattle, Washington
- Enrollment: 45,943 (32,718 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public research university
- Distinctions: flagship campus of the Washington state university system; attractive campus sits on the shores of Portage and Union Bays; member of the Association of American Universities for research strengths; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; member o f the NCAA Division I the Division I Pacific Ten Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Washington profile
Washington State University
Thecougarman07 / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Pullman, Washington
- Enrollment: 26,101 (21,726 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: over 200 areas of study; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; member of the NCAA Division I Pacific 10 Conference; one of the country's largest athletic centers
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Washington State University profile
Western Washington University
helenadagmar / Flickr
- Location: Bellingham, Washington
- Enrollment: 14,575 (13,396 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: highly ranked regional university; close to 75% of classes have fewer than 30 students; higher retention and graduation rates than many comparable universities; member of the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Western Washington University profile
Whitman College
chuck.taylor / Flickr
- Location: Walla Walla, Washington
- Enrollment: 1,515 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: liberal arts college
- Distinctions: one of the country's top liberal arts colleges; focus is entirely on undergraduate education; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; several science and professional programs collaborate with top schools like Caltech, Columbia, Duke and Washington University
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Whitlman College profile
Whitworth University
bikeride / Flickr
- Location: Spokane, Washington
- Enrollment: 2,781 (2,453 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church
- Distinctions: 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and the great majority of classes have under 30 students; good grant aid; ranks highly among master's institutions in the West; millions of dollars in upgrades in expansions in recent years
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Whitworth University profile
