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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education in Washington

20 Ranked Colleges
1,736 Degrees Awarded
$19,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in Washington

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 310,601 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across Washington, there were 6,729 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,736 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,202 and $21,977 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Education Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education in Washington

#1

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Washington University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington list. WWU is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 220 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WWU also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $16,529 for washington bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend WWU.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Western Washington University

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 272 students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. It costs about $13,297 for washington bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Education Report

#3

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Washington University landed the #3 spot on the list. Ellensburg, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 328 students in 2019-2020.

CWU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Washington University is $15,397 for washington bachelor’s degree education students.

Read full report on Education at Central Washington University

#4

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington list. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 197 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wazzu, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington State University is $16,358 for washington bachelor’s degree education students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wazzu Education Report

#5

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Washington University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington. Eastern Washington University is a fairly large school located in Cheney, Washington that handed out 213 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

EWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. It costs about $12,607 for washington bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend Eastern Washington University.

Read full report on Education at Eastern Washington University

#6

Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom

Lakewood, Washington
#14 in overall quality

Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Lakewood, Washington, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom is $8,926 for washington bachelor’s degree education students.

Full Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom Education Report

#7

Yakima Valley College

Yakima, Washington
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Yakima Valley College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington list. Located in Yakima, Washington, this small public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

YVC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. The yearly cost to attend YVC is $8,079 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

Read more about Education at YVC

#8

Heritage University

Toppenish, Washington
#13 in overall quality

Heritage University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington list. Heritage University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Toppenish, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Heritage University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. It costs about $10,056 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Heritage University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Heritage University Education Report

#9

City University of Seattle

Seattle, Washington
#15 in overall quality

City University of Seattle did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

CityU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full City University of Seattle Education Report

#10

Northwest University

Kirkland, Washington
#10 in overall quality

Northwest University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking. Northwest University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kirkland, Washington. It awarded 24 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwest University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. It costs about $22,194 for washington bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend Northwest University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Northwest University

#11

Walla Walla University

College Place, Washington
#16 in overall quality

Walla Walla University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking. Walla Walla U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in College Place, Washington. It awarded 19 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Walla Walla U, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. It costs about $20,571 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Walla Walla University.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Walla Walla U

#18 in overall quality

University of Washington - Bothell Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking. University of Washington - Bothell Campus is a public institution located in Bothell, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Bothell also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend UW Bothell is $11,060 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Education at UW Bothell

#13

Saint Martin's University

Lacey, Washington
#12 in overall quality

Saint Martin’s University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington list. Lacey, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Saint Martin’s also took the #12 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. It costs about $22,668 for washington bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend Saint Martin’s University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Martin’s University Education Report

#14

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, Washington
#4 in overall quality

Pacific Lutheran University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking, coming in at #14. PLU is a small school located in Tacoma, Washington that handed out 38 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

PLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. The yearly cost to attend PLU is $23,058 for washington bachelor’s degree education students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at PLU

#19 in overall quality

Whitworth University - Adult Degree Programs came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking. Spokane, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our washington bachelor’s degree education students list, Whitworth University - Adult Degree Programs has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Whitworth University - Adult Degree Programs

#16

Gonzaga University

Spokane, Washington
#3 in overall quality

Gonzaga University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking. Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit institution located in Spokane, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our washington bachelor’s degree education students list, Gonzaga has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. It costs about $33,793 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Gonzaga University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Education at Gonzaga

#17

Whitworth University

Spokane, Washington
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Whitworth University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington list. This small school is located in Spokane, Washington, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Whitworth, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Whitworth University is $25,557 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Whitworth

#18

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, Washington
#6 in overall quality

Seattle Pacific University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking. Seattle Pacific University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 29 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

SPU also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Seattle Pacific University is $26,505 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at SPU

#20 in overall quality

Northwest University - College of Adult and Professional Studies did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Kirkland, Washington, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwest University CAPS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. It costs about $26,232 for Washington Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Northwest University CAPS.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Northwest University - College of Adult and Professional Studies

#20

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, Washington
#7 in overall quality

University of Puget Sound landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Washington ranking. Puget Sound is a small school located in Tacoma, Washington that handed out 8 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Puget Sound did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Washington” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Puget Sound is $35,149 for washington bachelor’s degree education students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Puget Sound

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.

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