2026 Best Value Art Education Schools in Washington
[Art Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/art-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for art education students.
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2026 Best Value Art Education Schools in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in art education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Art Education Schools
For return on investment in art education, no school beat Eastern Washington University this year. Eastern Washington University is a large public school located in the town of Cheney. In-state tuition and fees average $8,586, compared with $26,583 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,009 to complete the art education program here. Early-career art education graduates make about $41,914. That is a strong return on a $23,009 median debt. Eastern Washington University admits about 91% of applicants.
University Of Washington Seattle Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value art education schools. Located in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,973, with out-of-state students paying around $43,209. Students borrow a median of $16,481 to complete the art education program here. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus generally make around $65,681. Set against $16,481 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Central Washington University one of the best values for art education. Set in the town of Ellensburg, Central Washington University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,417, compared with $27,526 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for art education graduates is $23,377. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Central Washington University generally make around $49,177. That is a strong return on a $23,377 median debt. Central Washington University admits about 91% of applicants.
Western Washington University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value art education schools. Set in the city of Bellingham, Western Washington University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,582, with out-of-state students paying around $28,707. Art Education graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Western Washington University generally make around $37,520. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Washington University admits about 93% of applicants.
More Art Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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.
