2026 Best Value Social Science Teacher Education Schools in Washington
[Social Science Teacher Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/social-science-teacher-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong social science teacher education education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value social science teacher education schools.
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2026 Best Value Social Science Teacher Education Schools in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in social science teacher education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Social Science Teacher Education Schools
For return on investment in social science teacher education, no school beat University Of Washington Seattle Campus this year. Located in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,973, with out-of-state students paying around $43,209. Social Science Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $16,481 in student loans. Social Science Teacher Education graduates of University Of Washington Seattle Campus earn a median of $65,681 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Central Washington University one of the best values for social science teacher 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. Social Science Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $23,377 in student loans. Social Science Teacher Education graduates of Central Washington University earn a median of $44,178 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,377 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Western Washington University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in social science teacher education, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Bellingham, Western Washington University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,582, compared with $28,707 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for social science teacher education graduates is $26,000. Social Science Teacher Education graduates of Western Washington University earn a median of $37,520 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
