2026 Best Value Science Education Schools in Washington
[Science Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/science-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for science education students.
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2026 Best Value Science Education Schools in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in science education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Science Education Schools
For return on investment in science education, no school beat Eastern Washington University this year. Eastern Washington University is a large public school located in the town of Cheney. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,586, compared with $26,583 for out-of-state students. Science Education graduates carry a median of $23,009 in student loans. Science Education graduates of Eastern Washington University earn a median of $41,914 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,009 median debt. Eastern Washington University admits about 91% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Washington Seattle Campus one of the best values for science education. Set in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,973, with out-of-state students paying around $43,209. Science Education graduates carry a median of $16,481 in student loans. Soon after graduation, science education degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus generally make around $71,315. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Central Washington University earned it the #3 place for science education. Located in the town of Ellensburg, Central Washington University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,417, with out-of-state students paying around $27,526. Typical student debt for science education graduates is $23,377. Soon after graduation, science 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.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Washington University earned it the #4 place for science education. Western Washington University is a large public school located in the city of Bellingham. In-state tuition and fees average $9,582, while out-of-state students pay about $28,707. Typical student debt for science education graduates is $26,000. Soon after graduation, science education degree recipients from Western Washington University generally make around $37,520. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
More Science 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
