Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

18 Best Universities in Washington for Education

We ranked the top 18 universities for Education in Washington based on strict academic metrics. To determine these leaders, we isolated 629.4K specialized research publications which collectively generated 29.59M citations. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

Active Filters: Education Washington Clear All

Ranking Methodology Notice

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1

Seattle

University of Washington – Seattle

#8 in United States #8 in North America

39% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1315 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

2

Pullman

Washington State University

#76 in United States #86 in North America

87% Acceptance

26,384 Enrollment

1110 Avg SAT

1890 Founded

3

Seattle

City University of Seattle

#877 in United States #947 in North America

100% Acceptance

12,485 Enrollment

1265 Avg SAT

1973 Founded

4

Bellingham

Western Washington University

#259 in United States #290 in North America

93% Acceptance

10,811 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1893 Founded

5

Kirkland

Northwest University

#743 in United States #811 in North America

83% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1195 Avg SAT

1934 Founded

6

Seattle

Seattle University

#167 in United States #191 in North America

77% Acceptance

56,997 Enrollment

1315 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

7

Bellevue, WA

Bellevue College

#723 in United States #790 in North America

100% Acceptance

19,951 Enrollment

1315 Avg SAT

1966 Founded

8

Tacoma

Pacific Lutheran University

#592 in United States #649 in North America

78% Acceptance

3,722 Enrollment

1150 Avg SAT

1890 Founded

9

Seattle

Seattle Pacific University

#554 in United States #609 in North America

83% Acceptance

3,722 Enrollment

1150 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

10

Olympia

Evergreen State College

#550 in United States #605 in North America

96% Acceptance

5,113 Enrollment

1144 Avg SAT

1967 Founded

11

Walla Walla

Whitman College

#470 in United States #519 in North America

38% Acceptance

7,463 Enrollment

1395 Avg SAT

1859 Founded

12

Cheney

Eastern Washington University

#457 in United States #505 in North America

91% Acceptance

10,811 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1882 Founded

13

Port Angeles

Peninsula College

#1303 in United States #1381 in North America

100% Acceptance

3,722 Enrollment

1070 Avg SAT

14

Ellensburg

Central Washington University

#431 in United States #478 in North America

91% Acceptance

19,951 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

15

Lacey

Saint Martin’s University

#1134 in United States #1209 in North America

90% Acceptance

7,463 Enrollment

1128 Avg SAT

1895 Founded

16

Spokane

Gonzaga University

#406 in United States #452 in North America

82% Acceptance

10,492 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1887 Founded

17

Spokane

Whitworth University

#885 in United States #955 in North America

90% Acceptance

10,492 Enrollment

1210 Avg SAT

1890 Founded

18

Tacoma

University of Puget Sound

#377 in United States #423 in North America

72% Acceptance

24,427 Enrollment

1275 Avg SAT

1888 Founded