2026 Best General Education Schools in Washington
General Education is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for general education students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for General Education in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall general education education in Washington.
Top Schools in General Education
Our analysis ranked Seattle Pacific University the best school in the country for a degree in general education. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Seattle. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 24 general education degrees were awarded at Seattle Pacific University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Seattle Pacific University generally make around $52,713. Typical student debt for the program is $25,000.
Read more about the general education program at Seattle Pacific University
University Of Washington Seattle Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best general education schools. University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. University Of Washington Seattle Campus awarded about 101 general education degrees in the most recent data year. General Education graduates of University Of Washington Seattle Campus earn a median of $60,476 early in their careers. University Of Washington Seattle Campus graduates carry a median of $15,729 in student loans.
Get the full general education details for University Of Washington Seattle Campus
Students looking for a strong general education program will find one at Whitworth University, which ranked #3. Whitworth University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Spokane. Roughly 71% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 15 general education degrees were awarded at Whitworth University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Whitworth University generally make around $80,115. Typical student debt for the program is $26,051.
See the full general education program report for Whitworth University
University Of Puget Sound is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of Puget Sound is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Tacoma. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. There were roughly 22 general education students who graduated with this degree at University Of Puget Sound in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from University Of Puget Sound generally make around $44,866. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
See the full general education program report for University Of Puget Sound
University Of Washington Tacoma Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in general education, ranking #5. University Of Washington Tacoma Campus is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Tacoma. About 63% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 25 general education students who graduated with this degree at University Of Washington Tacoma Campus in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from University Of Washington Tacoma Campus generally make around $60,476. University Of Washington Tacoma Campus graduates carry a median of $15,729 in student loans.
Get the full general education details for University Of Washington Tacoma Campus
Gonzaga University earned the #6 position for general education this year. Gonzaga University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Spokane. About 86% of students finish within six years. Gonzaga University awarded about 16 general education degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general education program make about $61,913 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,188 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in general education from Gonzaga University
Central Washington University came in at #7 for general education this year. This very large public university is located in the town of Ellensburg. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 65 general education students who graduated with this degree at Central Washington University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general education program make about $44,178 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $21,988 to complete this degree.
Read more about the general education program at Central Washington University
University Of Washington Bothell Campus earned the #8 position for general education this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the suburb of Bothell. University Of Washington Bothell Campus graduates 65% of students within six years. There were roughly 74 general education students who graduated with this degree at University Of Washington Bothell Campus in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general education program make about $60,476 in their early career. University Of Washington Bothell Campus graduates carry a median of $15,729 in student loans.
More information about a degree in general education from University Of Washington Bothell Campus
Eastern Washington University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best general education schools. Located in the town of Cheney, Eastern Washington University is a large public university. About 44% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 277 general education students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Washington University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Eastern Washington University generally make around $67,369. Typical student debt for the program is $21,754.
More information about a degree in general education from Eastern Washington University
City University Of Seattle ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best general education schools. Located in the city of Seattle, City University Of Seattle is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. There were roughly 53 general education students who graduated with this degree at City University Of Seattle in the most recent data year. General Education graduates of City University Of Seattle earn a median of $76,698 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $18,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in general education from City University Of Seattle
Northwest University earned the #11 position for general education this year. Located in the suburb of Kirkland, Northwest University is a small private not-for-profit university. About 68% of students finish within six years. Northwest University awarded about 24 general education degrees in the most recent data year. General Education graduates of Northwest University earn a median of $53,910 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $22,439.
See the full general education program report for Northwest University
Antioch University Seattle landed the #12 spot for general education this year. Set in the city of Seattle, Antioch University Seattle is a small private not-for-profit institution. Antioch University Seattle awarded about 13 general education degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Antioch University Seattle generally make around $55,121. Typical student debt for the program is $29,832.
Read more about the general education program at Antioch University Seattle
More General Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 18 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.