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2023 Best Education Colleges for Veterans in Washington

19 Ranked Colleges
7,355 Degrees Awarded
$34,300 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 327,871 education students received their degree, making the major the 4th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $46,202 and had an average of $24,437 in loans still to pay off.

Across Washington, there were 7,355 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,228 and $21,018 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs as well as strong veteran support.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education

The colleges and universities below are the best for washington vets studying education.

Top 19 Best Education Colleges for Veterans in Washington

1
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington State University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 713 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Wazzu also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 31,159 students enrolled at Washington State University, 83 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,702. During this same period, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

2

Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 676 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, UW Seattle supports 48,149 students, and 1,283 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 769 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,190. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full UW Seattle Veteran Student Life Report

3
Saint Martin's crest
Saint Martin's University
Lacey, Washington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Martin’s University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education list. Lacey, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.

Saint Martin’s also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,638 students enrolled at Saint Martin’s, 504 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 297 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,283. To help with additional expenses, 90 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Saint Martin’s]](/colleges/saint-martins-university/student-life/veterans/)

4
PLU crest
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, Washington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pacific Lutheran University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education list. PLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tacoma, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 94 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

PLU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, PLU supports 2,907 students, and 296 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 188 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,941. On top of their other funding sources, 77 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

5
Gonzaga crest
Gonzaga University
Spokane, Washington

Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education that were part of this year’s ranking, Gonzaga University landed the #5 spot on the list. Gonzaga is a medium-sized school located in Spokane, Washington that handed out 100 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Gonzaga not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 7,295 students enrolled at Gonzaga, 270 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 231 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,276. On top of their other funding sources, 73 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Gonzaga]](/colleges/gonzaga-university/student-life/veterans/)

6
Whitworth crest
Whitworth University
Spokane, Washington

With a ranking of #6, Whitworth University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education list. Spokane, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 188 students in 2020-2021.

Whitworth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 125 of the 2,756 students enrolled at Whitworth University were GI Bill® students, of which 89 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,257. To help with additional expenses, 19 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Whitworth]](/colleges/whitworth-university/student-life/veterans/)

7
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education ranking. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school handed out 301 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 622 of the 15,197 students enrolled at WWU were GI Bill® students, of which 324 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,933. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

8
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington

Seattle University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education list. Seattle U is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 141 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our washington vets studying education list, Seattle U has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 39 of the 7,050 students enrolled at Seattle University were GI Bill® students, of which 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,383. To help with additional expenses, 13 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

9

Eastern Washington University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education ranking. Cheney, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 520 students in 2020-2021.

EWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, EWU supports 12,349 students, and 647 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 296 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,760. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

10
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education ranking. This fairly large school is located in Ellensburg, Washington, and it awarded 692 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

CWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 11,174 students enrolled at CWU, 711 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 327 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,593. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

11
SPU crest
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle, Washington

Seattle Pacific University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education ranking. Seattle Pacific University is a small school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 486 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

SPU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 187 of the 3,601 students enrolled at Seattle Pacific University were GI Bill® students, of which 121 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,763. On top of their other funding sources, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

12
CityU crest
City University of Seattle
Seattle, Washington

City University of Seattle ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 218 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our washington vets studying education list, CityU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, City University of Seattle supports 2,052 students, and 240 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 183 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,534. To help with additional expenses, 6 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. City University of Seattle offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full City University of Seattle Veteran Student Life Report

13

With a ranking of #13, Spokane Falls Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education list. Spokane Falls Community College is located in Spokane, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Spokane Falls Community College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 4,189 students enrolled at Spokane Falls Community College, 25 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

14
Northwest University crest
Northwest University
Kirkland, Washington

With a ranking of #14, Northwest University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education list. Northwest University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Kirkland, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwest University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 1,184 students enrolled at Northwest University, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Northwest University Veteran Student Life Report

15
Antioch University - Seattle crest
Antioch University - Seattle
Seattle, Washington

Antioch University - Seattle ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education list. Antioch University - Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Antioch University - Seattle, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 735 students enrolled at Antioch University - Seattle, 21 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 12 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,597. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Antioch University - Seattle does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Antioch University - Seattle Veteran Student Life Report

16
Heritage University crest
Heritage University
Toppenish, Washington

Heritage University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education list. Heritage University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Toppenish, Washington. It awarded 68 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Heritage University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Heritage University supports 999 students, and 34 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 21 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,627. During this same period, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Heritage University]](/colleges/heritage-university/student-life/veterans/)

17

University of Washington - Bothell Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education ranking. University of Washington - Bothell Campus is a medium-sized public school situated in Bothell, Washington. It awarded 102 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Bothell also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 6,304 students enrolled at UW Bothell, 269 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 175 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,965. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UW Bothell offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 veteran student life at University of Washington - Bothell Campus]](/colleges/university-of-washington-bothell-campus/student-life/veterans/)

18
Puget Sound crest
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington

University of Puget Sound landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education ranking. Tacoma, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

Puget Sound not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 2,130 students enrolled at University of Puget Sound, 66 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $21,142. To help with additional expenses, 28 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Puget Sound]](/colleges/university-of-puget-sound/student-life/veterans/)

19

University of Washington - Tacoma Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Washington for Education ranking. Located in Tacoma, Washington, this medium-sized public school handed out 83 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our washington vets studying education list, UW Tacoma has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 721 of the 5,364 students enrolled at UW Tacoma were GI Bill® students, of which 417 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,084. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UW Tacoma offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Read More…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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