Ranking

Best Design and Applied Arts Colleges in Washington 2026

19 Washington colleges offering Design and Applied Arts, ranked by EduGradify value grade.

Schools ranked: 19
Cheapest net price: $6,064
Top earnings 10y: $78,466
Public / Private: 13 / 5

Skagit Valley College

A+

Mount Vernon, WA · Public

ROI score: 17.94
Net price: $6,064
Earnings 10y: $43,505
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Shoreline College

Shoreline, WA · Public

ROI score: 15.15
Net price: $8,585
Earnings 10y: $52,009
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Olympic College

Bremerton, WA · Public

ROI score: 15.05
Net price: $7,172
Earnings 10y: $43,169
Acceptance: Open / not reported

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA · Public

ROI score: 13.92
Net price: $14,091
Earnings 10y: $78,466
Acceptance: 39.2%

Spokane Falls Community College

Spokane, WA · Public

ROI score: 13.14
Net price: $7,409
Earnings 10y: $38,955
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Bellevue College

Bellevue, WA · Public

ROI score: 12.32
Net price: $11,430
Earnings 10y: $56,310
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Seattle Central College

Seattle, WA · Public

ROI score: 12.28
Net price: $8,819
Earnings 10y: $43,307
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Highline College

Des Moines, WA · Public

ROI score: 12.11
Net price: $9,879
Earnings 10y: $47,869
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Washington State University

Pullman, WA · Public

ROI score: 11.51
Net price: $14,971
Earnings 10y: $68,905
Acceptance: 86.6%

#10

Wenatchee Valley College

Wenatchee, WA · Public

ROI score: 10.58
Net price: $9,722
Earnings 10y: $41,127
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#11

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA · Public

ROI score: 10.42
Net price: $13,886
Earnings 10y: $57,897
Acceptance: 90.8%

#12

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA · Public

ROI score: 8.33
Net price: $18,476
Earnings 10y: $61,580
Acceptance: 90.6%

#13

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA · Public

ROI score: 7.38
Net price: $21,193
Earnings 10y: $62,569
Acceptance: 93.3%

#14

Walla Walla University

College Place, WA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 6.63
Net price: $23,329
Earnings 10y: $61,885
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#15

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 6.59
Net price: $24,488
Earnings 10y: $64,506
Acceptance: 83.4%

#16

Whitworth University

Spokane, WA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.52
Net price: $26,534
Earnings 10y: $58,561
Acceptance: 89.8%

#17

Seattle University

Seattle, WA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.43
Net price: $34,662
Earnings 10y: $75,272
Acceptance: 76.9%

#18

Whitman College

Walla Walla, WA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.07
Net price: $33,313
Earnings 10y: $67,589
Acceptance: 38.2%

#19

Northwest College of Art & Design

Tacoma, WA · Private For-Profit

ROI score: 4.75
Net price: $16,418
Earnings 10y: $31,167
Acceptance: 66%

How we picked this list

This list starts with Washington schools with positive Design and Applied Arts program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 10.22 (13 public, 5 private).

Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, WA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

How many Washington colleges are in this list?

19 Washington colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.