2026 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Washington

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools

Washington State University
Pullman, WA

$13,391 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,500 Avg Student Debt

$68,905 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing, no school beat Washington State University this year. Located in the town of Pullman, Washington State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,391, with out-of-state students paying around $29,950. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $21,500. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $54,697. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.

Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA

$50,916 In-State Tuition & Fees

$29,000 Avg Student Debt

$66,990 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Pacific Lutheran University earned it the #2 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Pacific Lutheran University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Tacoma. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $50,916. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $29,000 in student loans. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $49,181. Set against $29,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Pacific Lutheran University admits about 78% of applicants.

Seattle University
Seattle, WA

$56,721 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,000 Avg Student Debt

$75,272 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Seattle University earned it the #3 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Located in the city of Seattle, Seattle University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $56,721. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Seattle University earn a median of $100,549 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Seattle University admits about 77% of applicants.

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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).

2026 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Washington