Best Online Colleges in Washington of 2025

University Headquarters (HQ) is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that provides independent college rankings using a proprietary formula to create first class, unbiased rankings. The team at University HQ strives to provide accurate and trustworthy rankings that highlight the best programs in Washington.

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Washington is a state with plenty of outstanding education and work opportunities, as well as a mild climate, making it a great place to call home. Seattle, the largest city in Washington, is also one of the United States’ leading technology and biology hubs, making it an outstanding place for scientists, programmers, and business professionals alike. In particular, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Washington had an unemployment rate of around 4.2% in March 2022, making the state an attractive area for young professionals to build their careers.

The BLS also found the fastest growing industries in Washington for twelve months to be leisure & hospitality (24% change), information (6.8%), and professional & business services (6.8%). According to the BLS, Washington’s mean annual wage in 2021 was $68,740, with a mean hourly wage of $33.05 and a median hourly wage of $24.25. Certain careers, like computer and information systems managers, earned a mean annual salary of $178,130.

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Online Higher Education in Washington

Washington State offers strong post-secondary schooling options spanning the associate, bachelor’s, and graduate levels. Importantly, students can choose from a plethora of traditional and online programs to study in a manner that best supports their schedules, educational needs, and financial circumstances. Below is a quick Q&A to introduce Washington’s online higher education opportunities and compare them to traditional on-campus programs.

What is the average cost of on-campus and online higher education programs in Washington?

According to UnivStats.com, in-state college students in Washington pay an average of $5,806 to attend an on-campus program, while out-of-state students pay an average of $11,678 per year. However, the cost of attendance can vary dramatically between universities, with Whitman College costing around $55,982 per year to attend. At the low end of the spectrum is Northwest Indian College, which costs $3,969 per year.

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Furthermore, the cost of attendance for distance learning programs in Washington can also differ, as it depends on the institution a student is looking to attend. For instance, in-state students attending Washington State University (WSU) can expect to pay around $10,000 per year whether they are online learners or not. In comparison, an out-of-state student attending WSU would pay around $11,000 per year in tuition as a distance learner, but more than $24,000 if they were studying on campus. As such, students should compare the online and on-campus costs of the institution they are interested in attending before committing.
What are the qualifications a student needs to be considered for in-state tuition?
In general, to be considered for in-state tuition, a student, or their legal guardian if the student is still financially dependent, must have an established domicile in Washington at least one year before the first day that the student would attend college within the state. Legal documents that confirm residency include changing to a Washington driver’s license, registering a vehicle, changing voter registration, or leasing a home.
What percentage of higher education students in Washington are online learners?
For the 2020-2021 school year, Washington had a total of 337,082 students, of which 298,238 were undergraduates. Of those, 127,372 were exclusively online students, while an additional 62,774 took at least some online classes.

Our School Rankings Methodology

University HQ leverages a mix of many essential factors to provide an in-depth view of Washington schools for ranking purposes. Specifically, the methodology focuses on online programs, which in recent years have become an increasingly important aspect of helping students achieve education on their terms. Additional metrics that were analyzed include the school’s graduation rate, financial aid, and net price - data that can help students and families determine whether the cost of their degree is an investment well-taken. Additional factors like the university’s student-to-faculty ratio can help prospective students understand the school’s atmosphere and whether they would be able to build close connections with peers. Post-graduation numbers like the average graduate’s starting salary can help students understand their employment prospects in more detail.