Washington is well-known for its broad and innovative higher education options. The city is home to prestigious public universities such as the University of Washington and nationally renowned Jesuit colleges such as Gonzaga. Washington’s colleges provide a wide range of science, research, and liberal arts degrees. Below we have provided the top 20 best colleges in Washington USA.
Top 20 Best Colleges In Washington USA
- University of Washington
- Gonzaga University
- Whitman College
- Seattle University
- Washington State University
- Seattle Pacific University
- University of Puget Sound
- Whitworth University
- Pacific Lutheran University
- Western Washington University
- Saint Martin’s University
- Walla Walla University
- Evergreen State University
- Eastern Washington University
- Bellevue University
- Cascadia College
- Centralia College
- Clark College
- Clover Park Technical College
- DigiPen Institute of Technology
1. University of Washington
The University of Washington is a public research university; it was founded in 1861. The university provides bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees through its 140 departments, which are divided into colleges and schools.
Furthermore, Washington continues to profit from its strong historical links and significant collaborations with various regional technological behemoths, including Amazon, Boeing, Nintendo, and, most notably, Microsoft. Before launching Microsoft and other enterprises, Paul G. Allen, Bill Gates, and others spent substantial time at Washington computer laboratories for a startup endeavor.
Washington’s 22 varsity sports teams are also extremely competitive, representing the United States at the Olympic Games and other major contests as the Huskies in the Pac-12 Conference of the NCAA Division I.
2. Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a Jesuit private university located in Spokane, Washington. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities has accredited it. The institution was founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest, and Jesuit missionary, and is named after the young Jesuit saint Aloysius Gonzaga.
The university’s college and six schools award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees: the College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business Administration, School of Education, School of Engineering & Applied Science, School of Law, School of Nursing & Human Physiology, and School of Leadership Studies.
The core curriculum at Gonzaga incorporates philosophy, religious studies, mathematics, literature, natural and social sciences, and considerable writing in each major area.
Gonzaga offers 92 majors and 26 graduate programs. It offers professional school preparatory programs in business, education, engineering, dentistry, divinity/theology, law, medicine, nursing, and veterinary medicine. It supports an Army ROTC program that trains students to become commissioned officers when they graduate.
3. Whitman College
Whitman College is located in Walla Walla, Washington. It is a private liberal arts college and its recognised among the best colleges in Washington USA. The liberal arts and sciences department provides 53 majors and 33 minors, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1. Whitman is well-known for its 3-2 engineering, forestry and environmental management, and oceanographic departments.
The institution collaborates with another university for these programs, allowing participants to receive two complimentary degrees in five years. Whitman’s 3-2 programs provide well-rounded graduates in high demand by companies, which is one of the reasons the institution has such favorable post-graduation outcomes.
4. Seattle University
Seattle University is a private university that was established in 1891. With approximately 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs across eight colleges, SU is the biggest independent institution in the Northwestern United States.
Seattle University has 65 bachelor’s degree programs, 31 graduate degree programs, and 27 certificate programs, as well as a law school and an education doctorate program. The College of Arts and Sciences, the Albers School of Business and Economics, the College of Education, the School of Law, the College of Nursing, the College of Science and Engineering, the School of New and Continuing Studies, and the School of Theology and Ministry are the university’s eight colleges.
5. Washington State University
In 1890, Washington State University was established. WSU is made up of 12 colleges and a graduate school. The liberal arts and sciences, as well as commerce, communication, education, architecture, pharmacy, nursing, and the traditional land-grant disciplines of agriculture, engineering, and veterinary medicine, play a prominent role in the curriculum.
WSU has nearly 200 academic programs, including 98 majors, 86 minors, options, and over 140 graduate and professional degrees. Bachelor’s degrees are accessible in all major fields, and master’s and doctorate degrees are provided in the majority of them. The undergraduate core curriculum is nationally acclaimed, especially the writing program.
6. Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University (SPU) is a Christian private university located in Seattle, Washington. The academic offerings at the institution are separated into one college and five schools. Undergraduate students at Seattle Pacific can choose from more than 60 academic programs, and graduate students can earn master’s degrees in approximately 15 programs, including those in business and education schools.
Many Seattle Pacific students and graduates make use of the Center for Career and Calling, which provides assistance with cover letters and portfolios, among other resources, to aid them with their job hunt.
7. University of Puget Sound
University of Puget Sound, is a private university. The institution provides over 50 standard and alternative liberal arts and sciences degrees, as well as graduate programs in occupational therapy, physical therapy, teaching, and the recently inaugurated Master of Public Health Program. The student-teacher ratio is 12 to 1.
8. Whitworth University
Whitworth University is a Christian private university located in Country Homes, Washington. Whitworth is recognized for its small-town atmosphere; students are obliged to live on campus for the first two years, and the student-faculty ratio is 11:1. Whitworth University has more than 100 undergraduate majors and programs, six graduate programs, two doctorate programs, and seven adult bachelor’s degree completion programs.
The Pirates are Whitworth’s sporting team. The university participates in the Northwest Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III and provides 21 varsity sports.
9. Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University is a Lutheran private university located in Parkland, Washington. It was created in 1890 by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants. PLU’s academic year is divided into two semesters, autumn and spring, with a one-month term known as J-term in January. Summer sessions are also available. During J-term, students take one class for the whole month of January, which counts as a regular 4-credit class during the semester. PLU offers 44 majors and 54 minors in a variety of fields.
10. Western Washington University
WWU was established as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School in 1893, replacing a private school of teaching for women established in 1886. The university’s current name was chosen in 1977.
WWU provides a number of bachelor’s and master’s degrees. There were 16,142 students in 2019; 15,240 of them were undergraduates, and 664 were full-time faculty. Its sporting teams are known as the Vikings, and they participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division II.
11. Saint Martin’s University
Saint Martin’s University is a Benedictine private university located in Lacey, Washington. The institution provides 28 baccalaureate programs and fourteen graduate degree programs, with civil and mechanical engineering, business administration, and teaching programs being the most well-known. At Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Centralia College, the university provides programs and courses. The instruction at the school is built upon a liberal arts foundation with a focus on Benedictine ideals.
12. Walla Walla University
Walla Walla University, located in College Place, Washington, is a private Adventist university. The institution operates five campuses throughout the Pacific Northwest. It was established in 1892 and is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The university has around 1,700 students enrolled each year. It is both Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities recognized and denominationally approved. Walla Walla University has over 100 fields of study to choose from, including pre professional degrees and four graduate programs.
13. Evergreen State University
Evergreen State University is a public liberal arts college in Olympia, Washington. It was founded in 1967 and provided a non-traditional undergraduate program in which students can create their own studies toward a degree or follow a predetermined course of study. Full-time students can enroll in multidisciplinary academic programs in addition to stand-alone coursework.
Evergreen is unique in that undergraduate students choose a single 16-credit program for the whole quarter rather than various courses. Full-time programs will include a quarter’s worth of work in everything connected to that program emphasis on up to three instructors.
14. Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University (EWU) is a public university located in Cheney, Washington. It also has a campus at EWU Spokane at the Riverpoint Campus, as well as additional campus locations around the state.
The institution was founded in 1882 and is organized into four colleges: the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, the College of Health Science and Public Health, the College of Professional Programs, and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
15. Bellevue University
Bellevue University (BC) is a public college located in Bellevue, Washington. It is the largest of the 34 colleges that comprise the Washington Community and Technical Colleges system, as well as the state’s third-largest institution of higher education overall (behind the University of Washington and Washington State University).
Transfer associate degree programs that cover the first two years of college education, bachelor’s degree programs, professional-technical degrees and certifications, a significant continuing education program, and pre-college programs are all available at the school. The institution also offers a number of distance education and online learning programs.
16. Cascadia College
Cascadia College is a public community college located in Bothell, Washington, on the same campus as the University of Washington Bothell. Cascadia was created in 2000 to serve Bothell, Woodinville, Kirkland, Kenmore, Duvall, Carnation, Sammamish, Redmond, and other smaller areas in the larger Seattle region.
Cascadia University provides two-year associate degrees, two bachelor’s degree programs, continuing education courses, and professional and technical training. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities has accredited Cascadia.
17. Centralia College
Centralia College is a public community college located in Centralia, Washington. It mostly provides certificates and Associate degrees, although it also provides a few Bachelor’s degrees.
The Trailblazer is the college’s mascot, and the athletics program comprises women’s volleyball, men’s baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s fast-pitch softball, and women’s golf. These teams are members of the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC).
18. Clark College
Clark College is a community college located in Vancouver, Washington. Clark College is the biggest higher education school in southwest Washington, with 11,500 students. Clark College has over 100 alternatives for achieving a bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree, or a certificate.
Furthermore, its Transitional Studies program serves adult students seeking to earn a high school diploma or equivalent, learn English as a Second Language, or gain basic skills and job-training programs; courses for transfer to four-year institutions; online courses; and articulations with other colleges that provide students with a seamless transfer.
19. Clover Park Technical College
Clover Park Technical College is a Lakewood, Washington, community college. There is also a smaller site for Aviation Training at Thun Field in Puyallup, Washington (South Hill). The main CPTC campus includes 3,500 full-time students and 18,000 part-time students.
CPTC provides Bachelor of Applied Science, Associate of Applied Technology (AAT), and certificate programs, depending on the curriculum. The institution introduced its first applied bachelor program, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Manufacturing Operations, in the autumn of 2014.
20. DigiPen Institute of Technology
DigiPen Institute of Technology is a for-profit private institution located in Redmond, Washington. It has campuses in Singapore as well as Bilbao, Spain. Computer Science, Animation, Video Game Development, Game Design, Sound Design, and Computer Engineering are among the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs available at DigiPen.
The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology has approved DigiPen’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation and Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whitworth University is a Presbyterian-affiliated private residential liberal arts college. The aim of the institution is to give a mind-and-heart education to its varied student body, preparing graduates to honor God, follow Christ, and serve mankind.
Admission to Seattle University is competitive, with an acceptance rate of 82%. Half of Seattle University’s accepted students have an SAT score between 1120 and 1330 or an ACT score between 24 and 31. However, one-fourth of approved candidates received scores that were higher than these ranges, while the other quarter received scores that were lower.
To be admitted to the University of Washington, students must have a GPA of 3.75 or above.
References
- https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/wa
- https://blog.collegevine.com/best-colleges-in-washington/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_College
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Washington_University
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walla_Walla_University
READ ALSO
