Notable Four-Year Colleges and Universities in Washington

This directory-style guide highlights 50 four-year colleges and universities in Washington. Each institution is identified by its full profile name and location so similarly named organizations are easier to distinguish. “Notable” is a directory label, not an evaluation of quality or an endorsement.

Entries were selected and ordered using enrollment values available in COSMIQ profiles. Enrollment figures are intentionally omitted. The order is an estimate of institution size, not a ranking of academic quality, outcomes, or fit.

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Institutions in this guide

University of Washington-Seattle Campus — Seattle, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Washington State University — Pullman, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Western Washington University — Bellingham, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Eastern Washington University — Cheney, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Bellevue College — Bellevue, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Central Washington University — Ellensburg, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Pierce College District — Lakewood, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Gonzaga University — Spokane, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Seattle University — Seattle, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Clark College — Vancouver, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Spokane Community College — Spokane, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Green River College — Auburn, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Columbia Basin College — Pasco, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Edmonds College — Lynnwood, Washington. Public four-year institution.
University of Washington-Bothell Campus — Bothell, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Tacoma Community College — Tacoma, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Olympic College — Bremerton, Washington. Public four-year institution.
South Seattle College — Seattle, Washington. Public four-year institution.
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus — Tacoma, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Highline College — Des Moines, Washington. Public four-year institution.
North Seattle College — Seattle, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Seattle Central College — Seattle, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Skagit Valley College — Mount Vernon, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Spokane Falls Community College — Spokane, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Whatcom Community College — Bellingham, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Yakima Valley College — Yakima, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology — Kirkland, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Seattle Pacific University — Seattle, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Renton Technical College — Renton, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Clover Park Technical College — Lakewood, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Walla Walla Community College — Walla Walla, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Pacific Lutheran University — Tacoma, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Wenatchee Valley College — Wenatchee, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Lower Columbia College — Longview, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Whitworth University — Spokane, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Centralia College — Centralia, Washington. Public four-year institution.
The Evergreen State College — Olympia, Washington. Public four-year institution.
City University of Seattle — Seattle, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
University of Puget Sound — Tacoma, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Cascadia College — Bothell, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Big Bend Community College — Moses Lake, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Bellingham Technical College — Bellingham, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Saint Martin's University — Lacey, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Peninsula College — Port Angeles, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Whitman College — Walla Walla, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Grays Harbor College — Aberdeen, Washington. Public four-year institution.
Walla Walla University — College Place, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education — Kirkland, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Northwest University — Kirkland, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Heritage University — Toppenish, Washington. Private nonprofit four-year institution.

Selection and source notes

Where enough eligible profiles were available, this guide includes the top 50, 25, or 10 by available enrollment; smaller groups include all eligible profiles. Profile source year: 2022. Check each institution directly for current information.

Sources: NCES IPEDS. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by COSMIQ, and it does not mean that any listed institution endorses COSMIQ.