New study ranks Washington's top 10 'best value' universities
Study: 10 best value college campuses in WA
A new study is ranking college campuses in Washington by value. Those numbers were crunched by a financial consulting company called "Smart Asset".
SEATTLE - A new study has identified the top 10 best value colleges in Washington based on tuition, retention and starting salaries post-graduation.
The map was charted by financial advisory site SmartAsset, and ranks colleges on several factors. Puget Sound-area schools have the largest showing, but the map also includes universities in Eastern Washington and the southeastern corner of the state.
Old Main at Western Washington University in the fall. (Andrew Kvalheim // CC BY-SA 4.0)
Earning the number-one spot is University of Washington in Seattle, followed by its Bothell campus and its Tacoma campus.
According to the study, UW has a 93% student retention rate, a modest tuition of $13,224, a median starting salary of $67,400 and an overall ‘College Education Value’ index of 82.27.
The index is based off the following criteria:
- Average scholarships and grants
- Median starting salary
- Tuition
- Student living costs
- Student retention rate
While UW has the highest starting salary and retention rate, it also has some of the highest student living costs, as well as middle-of-the-road average scholarships compared to the other schools on the list.
The full Top 10 ranking is as follows:
- University of Washington, Seattle
- University of Washington, Bothell campus
- University of Washington, Tacoma campus
- Walla Walla University
- Washington State University
- Northwest University
- Western Washington University
- Saint Martin’s University
- Gonzaga University
- Seattle University
For a full breakdown of each school’s metrics, check the SmartAsset study on their website.