2026 Best Value Value Schools in Washington
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Value Schools
For return on investment in value, no school beat University Of Washington Seattle Campus this year. Set in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,973, with out-of-state students paying around $43,209. Value graduates carry a median of $16,481 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $65,681. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Washington Seattle Campus admits about 39% of applicants.
Western Washington University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value value schools. 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. Value graduates carry a median of $20,361 in student loans. Value graduates of Western Washington University earn a median of $41,118 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,361 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 · 2 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.
[Value](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/geography-and-environmental-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
