Colleges in Washington: Several Systems, Several Sets of Rules

Washington does not run higher education through a single agency. Community and technical colleges, public universities, private nonprofit colleges, tribal colleges, and for-profit career schools each answer to a different body. Knowing which type of school you are looking at tells you how to apply, what it may cost, and who to call if something goes wrong.

Our database lists 198 college and school locations across 63 Washington cities. They range from large university campuses to small beauty academies and single-purpose training centers. Seattle has the most entries, but the listings also reach Anacortes, Wenatchee, Richland, and Langley on Whidbey Island. The sections below explain how these schools are organized and how to use the listings well.

Who Oversees Community Colleges, Universities and Career Schools in Washington

Community and technical colleges form the largest public group. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges coordinates 34 colleges under chapter 28B.50 of the Revised Code of Washington. Each college keeps its own board of trustees, appointed by the governor. Renton Technical College, Cascadia College, Olympic College, and South Puget Sound Community College all belong to this system. The legislature sets tuition for these colleges, so rates follow a statewide schedule rather than a local one.

Six public four-year institutions sit alongside them. They are the University of Washington, Washington State University, Western Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Central Washington University, and The Evergreen State College. Several run extension sites far from their home campuses. Central Washington University, based in Ellensburg, appears in our listings with a Pierce County campus on Farwest Drive Southwest in Tacoma and a Yakima campus on South 12th Avenue.

Private nonprofit schools make up a third group. Northwest University in Kirkland, Antioch University Seattle, and City University of Seattle's Bellevue campus are examples. These schools need state authorization to grant degrees, which the Washington Student Achievement Council handles. Most also seek regional accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, and you should confirm that before you enroll.

Career schools are the fourth group. Private vocational schools are generally licensed by the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board under chapter 28C.10 RCW. Beauty, barber, and cosmetology schools are licensed through the Department of Licensing. That is why Glen Dow Academy of Hair Design in Spokane and Bellingham Beauty School appear beside degree-granting colleges in the same directory.

Tribal institutions add a fifth strand. Northwest Indian College is rooted in the Lummi Nation near Bellingham. Our listings show its Muckleshoot Campus on Auburn Enumclaw Road Southeast and its Nisqually Campus on Yelm Highway Southeast near Olympia.

Puget Sound Density Versus Eastern and Rural Washington

The Cascade Range divides the state's college map as sharply as it divides the weather. King County holds 64 of our listings, with clusters in Seattle, Tukwila, Bellevue, Bothell, Renton, Kirkland, and Federal Way. A Seattle-area student can compare many options along the same commute, from Cascadia College in Bothell to Renton Technical College on Northeast 4th Street. Technical programs, graduate schools, and career colleges are all well represented here.

North and south of Seattle, the pattern repeats on a smaller scale. Snohomish County has its listings in Everett and in Marysville, where Everett Community College runs the Tulalip College Center. Pierce County centers on Tacoma and Puyallup, home to Bj's Beauty & Barber College. Interstate 5 ties these campuses together, which matters if you plan to commute or take classes at two schools.

East of the mountains, options are fewer and farther apart. Spokane County is the main hub, with entries in Spokane and Spokane Valley. Yakima County anchors the central part of the state, including Central Washington University's Yakima campus. Wenatchee, Richland, and the Tri-Cities serve the surrounding orchard, farm, and river communities. Winter weather on the mountain passes can affect travel between the two halves of the state, so many students choose a school on their own side.

Smaller communities often rely on branch centers rather than full campuses. Skagit Valley College operates a Marine Technology Center in Anacortes and a South Whidbey Center in Langley. Highline College runs a Marine Science and Technology Center in Des Moines. If you live on an island or in a rural county, ask whether your nearest center offers the whole program you need or only part of it. Also ask whether classes meet in person, online, or both.

Reading a Washington College Listing Before You Visit

A directory entry gives you an address and a phone number. An address does not always mean a full campus with a front desk, so keep these points in mind:

Our listings also include sites that are not traditional colleges. Emil Fries Piano Hospital and Training Center in Clark County is a trade training site, not a degree-granting school. Entries like it can be the right fit if you want a specific skill, but the credential, cost, and job outcome differ from a college degree. Ask what certificate or license you will hold when you finish.

Applying, Paying and Transferring: How Washington's Rules Work

Start with money, because aid rules shape which schools are affordable. The Washington Student Achievement Council administers the Washington College Grant, a need-based award for eligible residents attending approved schools in the state. You apply with the FAFSA, or with the Washington Application for State Financial Aid if you cannot file the federal form. Eligibility depends on family income and household size, and not every school participates.

In-state tuition generally requires that you have lived in Washington for at least a year before the term starts. You also must not have moved here mainly to attend school. Exceptions exist, including for some military families. The college makes the final residency decision, so bring a driver's license, lease, or tax records when you ask.

Most community colleges and the University of Washington run on the quarter system, with fall, winter, and spring terms of roughly ten weeks. Washington State University uses semesters. If you plan to transfer, ask about the Direct Transfer Agreement, which lets a community college associate degree satisfy many general education requirements at participating four-year schools. Running Start lets eleventh and twelfth graders take college classes at participating colleges, with tuition covered but fees and books often still due.

Here are practical next steps. Pick two or three campuses by commute and program. Call each enrollment office and ask for a written cost sheet. Confirm accreditation or state licensing, and file your aid application early, since some funds run out. Then visit in person if the school is a small private one, so you can see the classrooms and equipment before you commit.

Public colleges and universities in Washington offer residents access to affordable higher education, professional certifications, and workforce training. The Washington state legislature oversees funding and policy for public institutions, while individual governing boards manage each campus.

Colleges locations are available in 63 cities across Washington. They are spread across 28 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Seattle, Spokane, Everett, reflecting the presence of major university campuses and community college districts serving large student populations.

Prospective students in Washington should research in-state tuition rates, available degree programs, and financial aid options at public institutions, as these factors vary significantly between community colleges and four-year universities.

Colleges by Counties

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Students in Washington applying to public colleges and universities should complete the FAFSA as early as possible to maximize eligibility for federal and state financial aid. Many Washington institutions also offer state-specific grant programs with additional eligibility criteria.

Browse Colleges by county across Washington to find the nearest location.

Choosing a Washington Campus by Region and Goal

Your goal usually decides the right type of school more than your zip code does. A student seeking a bachelor's degree in the Seattle area will look at the public universities and private schools such as Northwest University in Kirkland or City University of Seattle in Bellevue. Someone who wants a trade certificate will often start at a technical college like Renton Technical College, which focuses on job training.

Culinary, beauty, and bodywork programs follow their own paths. Cortiva Institute-Seattle, listed on South 314th Street in Federal Way, is a massage school. Massage therapists in Washington are licensed by the Department of Health, so ask whether a program meets the education requirement for that license. Beauty and barber students should ask the same question of the Department of Licensing.

Outside the metro area, plan around travel. Olympic College in Bremerton serves the Kitsap Peninsula, where ferry schedules shape many commutes. South Puget Sound Community College's Lacey campus serves the Olympia area. Skagit Valley College's South Whidbey Center in Langley brings classes to island residents who would otherwise cross by ferry. Call ahead, confirm room numbers, and ask about parking at each site.

Start with the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, which licenses most private vocational schools under chapter 28C.10 RCW. Beauty, barber, and cosmetology schools, such as the academies in Spokane, Bellingham, Puyallup, and Wenatchee in our listings, are licensed through the Washington State Department of Licensing. Degree-granting private colleges are authorized by the Washington Student Achievement Council. Before you pay a deposit, ask the school for its license number and confirm it with the agency. A legitimate school will give you a written enrollment agreement stating total cost, refund terms, and program length.

No. ITT Technical Institute closed all of its campuses nationwide in September 2016. That includes the Everett location on 75th Street Southwest and the Spokane Valley location on East Indiana Avenue. We keep older records visible because people still search for them, usually to track down transcripts or loan information. If you attended ITT, contact the U.S. Department of Education about federal loan options. You can also ask the Washington Attorney General's Office or the state's education agencies where student records were sent. Treat the old phone numbers as out of date.

The Washington Student Achievement Council runs the grant for residents with financial need who attend eligible schools in the state. Most students file the FAFSA. If you cannot file the federal form because of immigration status, you can file the Washington Application for State Financial Aid instead. Award amounts depend on income, family size, and the type of school you attend. Not every school participates, so ask each financial aid office whether it is approved. File early, and plan to reapply every year, because your circumstances and the rules can change.

Yes, through Running Start. Eligible eleventh and twelfth graders can take classes at participating colleges, and the credits count toward both high school and college. State funding covers tuition, but students usually pay fees and buy their own books. Fee waivers may be available for students with low family income. Begin with your high school counselor, then contact the college's Running Start office. Colleges may require placement testing, and quarter-system schools run on a different calendar from most high schools, so check term dates before you build your schedule.

Ask an advisor about the Direct Transfer Agreement associate degree, which is designed so general education credits move to many four-year schools in the state. Plan your courses around your intended major, because programs like engineering and nursing expect specific prerequisites. Contact the university's transfer admissions office well before your second year and ask for a course equivalency guide. Cascadia College in Bothell shares a campus with the University of Washington Bothell, which makes this planning conversation easy for students in that area.

Contact the agency that licenses or authorizes the school. That is the Workforce Board for career schools, the Department of Licensing for beauty and barber schools, and the Washington Student Achievement Council for private degree-granting colleges. The Attorney General's Office also takes consumer complaints. Gather your enrollment agreement, receipts, emails, and dates before you call. If a school closes, the licensing agency can often tell you where student records went and whether tuition protection applies. Complaints about public colleges usually go to the college first, then to its governing board.