These are the top 10 colleges in WA, study says. Is your alma mater on the list?
Choosing which college to attend is not an easy decision.
Factors to consider range from tuition costs and class size to extracurricular activities, location and atmosphere.
To aid in the decision-making process, personal finance website WalletHub recently ranked the best colleges and universities across the United States in 2026, based on campus safety, faculty resources, graduation rates and other factors.
In Washington state, 10 colleges and universities stand above the rest, WalletHub said.
Here’s which schools topped the Evergreen State list:
What makes University of Washington the best in the state?
The University of Washington’s Seattle campus took the top spot on WalletHub’s list of the best colleges in Washington state, thanks to its admission rate, graduation rate and other factors.
The public four-year university, which received an overall score of 67.03 out of 100, also scored high in terms of the ratio of students to faculty, net costs for students and gender and racial diversity.
The Seattle campus has a total enrollment of 51,719 students, with undergraduates paying $12,973 for in-state tuition and fees, according to University of Washington website.
The University of Washington in Seattle offers more than 180 majors amid “a stunning campus in the heart of an energetic, forward-thinking city,” the university said on its website.
The university said it receives more federal research funding than any other public university in the country.
The Seattle campus ranked No. 84 overall on WalletHub’s list of the best colleges and universities in the nation.
UW is often recognized among the best higher-education institutions in the nation, receiving high rankings from U.S. News and World Report, Princeton Review and Niche.
What’s the best college in Eastern Washington?
Whitman College in Walla Walla ranked second on WalletHub’s list of the top colleges and universities in Washington state.
The private liberal arts school received strong scores for its admission rate, student-faculty ratio and graduation rate, WalletHub said.
Whitman College also has a low on-campus crime rate, the site said, and students enjoy relatively high salaries after attending the school.
On its website, Whitman College said it’s “rooted in the traditional liberal arts values like critical thought and academic rigor.”
The college offers more than 60 majors and has a student-faculty ratio of nine to one. It also boasts a student-tree ratio of one to one.
2 Tacoma universities ranked among Washington’s best
Two universities with campuses in Tacoma ranked among the top 10 colleges and universities in the Evergreen State.
The University of Puget Sound was No. 5 on WalletHub’s list.
The private liberal arts college has a student-faculty ratio of 10 to one, and offers 50 areas of study plus five graduate programs. It also boasts one of the most beautiful campuses in America, according to Campus Rover.
The University of Puget Sound said it’s among the top 10 universities in the nation for producing Peace Corps volunteers.
The campus ranked third on the College Rover list of most beautiful campuses in America.
Landing at No. 6 was Pacific Lutheran University in the Parkland area.
There are 12 teachers for every student at the private Lutheran school, which offers more than 40 undergraduate majors plus a handful of graduate programs.
According to the university’s website, 100% of students receive some amount of financial aid.
Where are top 10 colleges in Washington state?
According to WalletHub, these were the top 10 best colleges and universities in Washington state for 2026:
- University of Washington in Seattle
- Whitman College in Walla Walla
- Gonzaga University in Spokane
- Seattle University in Seattle
- University of Puget Sound in Tacoma
- Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma
- Western Washington University in Bellingham
- Northwest University in Kirkland
- Seattle Pacific University in Seattle
- Whitworth University in Spokane
Where are the top 10 colleges in the US?
According to WalletHub, the top 10 colleges and universities across the country in 2026 were:
- California Institute of Technology in Pasadena
- Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois
- Stanford University in California
- University of Chicago
- Claremont McKenna College in California
- University of Notre Dame in Indiana
- Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Pomona College in Claremont, California
- Grinnell College in Iowa
How did WalletHub rank America’s best colleges?
To determine the best colleges and universities in the nation in 2026, WalletHub said it analyzed a total of 791 higher education institutions across the country.
Each was evaluated on 30 key metrics, grouped into seven categories:
- Student selectivity
- Cost and financing
- Faculty resources
- Campus safety
- Campus experience
- Educational outcomes
- Career outcomes
WalletHub determined each school’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score, using the resulting scores to rank-order those campuses.
Data came from sources including the U.S Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics and Council for Community and Economic Research.