Ranking

Best Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Colleges in Washington 2026

42 Washington colleges offering Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, ranked by EduGradify value grade.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $3,136
Top earnings 10y: $78,466
Public / Private: 25 / 0

Northwest Indian College

A+

Bellingham, WA · Public

ROI score: 28.26
Net price: $3,136
Earnings 10y: $35,447
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Grays Harbor College

A+

Aberdeen, WA · Public

ROI score: 21.36
Net price: $4,783
Earnings 10y: $40,865
Acceptance: Open / not reported

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

A+

Tacoma, WA · Public

ROI score: 19.30
Net price: $10,163
Earnings 10y: $78,466
Acceptance: 82.5%

Spokane Community College

A+

Spokane, WA · Public

ROI score: 19.18
Net price: $5,473
Earnings 10y: $41,984
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Skagit Valley College

A+

Mount Vernon, WA · Public

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

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Bothell, WA · Public

ROI score: 15.92
Net price: $12,319
Earnings 10y: $78,466
Acceptance: 90.6%

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

Tacoma Community College

Tacoma, WA · Public

ROI score: 14.08
Net price: $8,376
Earnings 10y: $47,168
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#10

Columbia Basin College

Pasco, WA · Public

ROI score: 14.03
Net price: $8,317
Earnings 10y: $46,680
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#11

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA · Public

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

#12

Lower Columbia College

Longview, WA · Public

ROI score: 13.33
Net price: $7,630
Earnings 10y: $40,691
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#13

Spokane Falls Community College

Spokane, WA · Public

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

#14

South Puget Sound Community College

Olympia, WA · Public

ROI score: 12.33
Net price: $9,132
Earnings 10y: $45,039
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#15

Bellevue College

Bellevue, WA · Public

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

#16

Seattle Central College

Seattle, WA · Public

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

#17

Highline College

Des Moines, WA · Public

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

#18

Pierce College District

Lakewood, WA · Public

ROI score: 11.62
Net price: $10,222
Earnings 10y: $47,532
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#19

Walla Walla Community College

Walla Walla, WA · Public

ROI score: 11.57
Net price: $9,406
Earnings 10y: $43,526
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#20

Washington State University

Pullman, WA · Public

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

#21

Cascadia College

Bothell, WA · Public

ROI score: 11.02
Net price: $12,281
Earnings 10y: $54,133
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#22

Centralia College

Centralia, WA · Public

ROI score: 10.94
Net price: $9,862
Earnings 10y: $43,140
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#23

Edmonds College

Lynnwood, WA · Public

ROI score: 10.93
Net price: $11,010
Earnings 10y: $48,144
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#24

Everett Community College

Everett, WA · Public

ROI score: 10.63
Net price: $10,684
Earnings 10y: $45,434
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#25

Wenatchee Valley College

Wenatchee, WA · Public

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

How we picked this list

This list starts with Washington schools with positive Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 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 14.34 (25 public, 0 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?

Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, 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?

42 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.