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Our analysis found Seattle Central College to be the most ethnically diverse college in Washington. The school's ethnic diversity score is 87.4 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 87.4, with a gender-diversity score of 98.4.
by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. The ranking below was designed to help you find 84 colleges that stand out for their student bodies in Washington, using our 2026 methodology.
We measure this ranking on the racial and ethnic makeup of the student body. To arm you with the information you need, College Factual reviewed 84 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Diversity means different things to different students. Drill down by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our tool College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter most to you.
Here are the top-ranked colleges:
Our analysis found Seattle Central College to be the most ethnically diverse college in Washington. The school's ethnic diversity score is 87.4 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 87.4, with a gender-diversity score of 98.4.
Highline College came in at #2 on this year's Most Ethnically Diverse Colleges ranking in Washington. The school's ethnic diversity score is 87.4 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 87.4, alongside a 94.6 gender-diversity score.
You'll find a welcoming community at Green River College, which ranked #3 this year. On ethnic diversity, it scores 86.8 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 86.8, with a gender-diversity score of 99.8.
Out of the 84 colleges in Washington in this year's ranking, Shoreline Community College landed the #4 spot. On ethnic diversity, it scores 84.3 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 84.3, with a gender-diversity score of 97.5.
Edmonds College came in at #5 on this year's Most Ethnically Diverse Colleges ranking in Washington. On ethnic diversity, it scores 82.6 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 82.6, alongside a 99.6 gender-diversity score.
Tacoma Community College landed the #6 spot in Washington this year. The school's ethnic diversity score is 82.4 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 82.4, and gender diversity 93.0.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus earned the #7 position in Washington. On ethnic diversity, it scores 81.1 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 81.1, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the most ethnically diverse colleges. University of Washington-Tacoma Campus scores 81.0 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 81.0, and gender diversity 100.0.
North Seattle College landed the #9 spot in Washington this year. The school's ethnic diversity score is 80.9 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 80.9, and gender diversity 97.1.
Bellevue College landed the #10 spot in Washington this year. It scores 80.3 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 80.3, with a gender-diversity score of 99.0.
Renton Technical College earned the #11 position in Washington. Renton Technical College scores 79.8 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 79.8, alongside a 94.0 gender-diversity score.
Pierce College District landed the #12 spot in Washington this year. The school's ethnic diversity score is 79.5 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 79.5, with a gender-diversity score of 96.0.
Saint Martin's University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the most ethnically diverse colleges. Saint Martin's University scores 79.1 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 79.1, alongside a 99.4 gender-diversity score.
Seattle University earned the #14 position in Washington. The school's ethnic diversity score is 78.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 78.5, and gender diversity 94.8.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology placed #15 among the most ethnically diverse colleges in Washington. Lake Washington Institute of Technology scores 78.5 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 78.5, with a gender-diversity score of 97.6.
South Seattle College earned the #16 position in Washington. The school's ethnic diversity score is 78.5 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 78.5, with a gender-diversity score of 87.5.
Seattle Pacific University landed the #17 spot in Washington this year. It scores 77.9 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 77.9, with a gender-diversity score of 90.7.
Cascadia College placed #18 among the most ethnically diverse colleges in Washington. On ethnic diversity, it scores 77.8 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 77.8, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
University of Washington-Bothell Campus landed the #19 spot in Washington this year. On ethnic diversity, it scores 77.6 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 77.6, and gender diversity 99.4.
Clover Park Technical College earned the #20 position in Washington. The school's ethnic diversity score is 77.4 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 77.4, alongside a 96.6 gender-diversity score.
Pima Medical Institute-Renton earned the #21 position in Washington. The school's ethnic diversity score is 76.2 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 76.2, with a gender-diversity score of 58.6.
City University of Seattle landed the #22 spot in Washington this year. The school's ethnic diversity score is 75.3 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 75.3, alongside a 98.4 gender-diversity score.
Bates Technical College landed the #23 spot in Washington this year. Bates Technical College scores 73.8 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 73.8, and gender diversity 96.7.
Pacific Lutheran University placed #24 among the most ethnically diverse colleges in Washington. It scores 72.7 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 72.7, with a gender-diversity score of 92.9.
Everett Community College came in at #25 in this year's ranking. On ethnic diversity, it scores 72.7 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 72.7, alongside a 98.9 gender-diversity score.
Not far behind, these colleges also rank among the most ethnically diverse this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is based on the racial and ethnic makeup of the student body. The racial-ethnic minorities percentage is calculated by taking the total number of students, subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity is unknown, and dividing by total enrollment.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.