Tuition Trends for Washington colleges Over Past 10 Years

There are 96 colleges in Washington - 42 public and 54 private schools. The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in Washington is $6,159 for Washington residents and $12,707 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $34,047. For Washington community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $5,020 for state residents and $8,195 for out-of-state students.

Washington public 4-year colleges' in-state tuition & fees increased by 18.66% from $5,508 (2015) to $6,536 (2024) and out-of-state tuition & fees grew by 15.27% over the past decade from $11,731 (2015) to $13,522 (2024). In private Washington colleges, the tuition & fees increased by 14.59%, from $26,554 (2015) to $30,429 (2024).

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Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased by 26.15% when living on campus and by 32.30% when living off campus at public Washington colleges. For private Washington colleges, the COA has increased by 21.70% (on-campus) and 25.64% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes of Washington colleges
Year	Living On Campus			Living Off Campus
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$19,189	$25,412	$40,235	$19,563	$25,786	$40,609
2015-16	$19,366 0.92%	$25,814 1.58%	$41,339 2.74%	$19,729 0.85%	$26,177 1.52%	$41,702 2.69%
2016-17	$19,099 -1.38%	$25,237 -2.24%	$41,729 0.94%	$19,619 -0.56%	$25,757 -1.60%	$42,249 1.31%
2017-18	$19,402 1.59%	$25,318 0.32%	$42,836 2.65%	$19,742 0.63%	$25,658 -0.38%	$43,176 2.19%
2018-19	$20,337 4.82%	$26,862 6.10%	$43,031 0.46%	$20,638 4.54%	$27,163 5.87%	$43,332 0.36%
2019-20	$20,938 2.96%	$27,507 2.40%	$43,498 1.09%	$21,196 2.70%	$27,765 2.22%	$43,756 0.98%
2020-21	$21,508 2.72%	$28,230 2.63%	$44,459 2.21%	$21,651 2.15%	$28,373 2.19%	$44,602 1.93%
2021-22	$22,066 2.59%	$28,934 2.49%	$44,817 0.81%	$21,982 1.53%	$28,850 1.68%	$44,733 0.29%
2022-23	$23,431 6.19%	$30,563 5.63%	$46,334 3.38%	$25,069 14.04%	$32,201 11.62%	$47,972 7.24%
2023-24	$25,071 7.00%	$32,057 4.89%	$48,964 5.68%	$27,129 8.22%	$34,115 5.94%	$51,022 6.36%

Tuition & Fees Changes

For the current year (2024), the average tuition & fees for Washington colleges is $6,536 for Washington residents and $13,522 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $30,657.

For graduate programs, the 2024 average graduate tuition & fees is $16,763 for Washington residents and $31,152 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $23,520.

The tuition & fees has increased 15.27% for undergraduate programs and 19.70% for graduate programs at Washington colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.

Tuition & Fees Changes for Washington colleges
Year	Undergraduate			Graduate
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$5,508	$11,731	$26,554	$12,762	$24,933	$19,354
2015-16	$5,436 -1.31%	$11,884 1.30%	$27,409 3.22%	$12,952 1.49%	$25,194 1.05%	$19,665 1.61%
2016-17	$5,164 -5.00%	$11,302 -4.90%	$27,794 1.40%	$13,061 0.84%	$25,365 0.68%	$20,934 6.45%
2017-18	$5,309 2.81%	$11,225 -0.68%	$28,743 3.41%	$12,989 -0.55%	$25,159 -0.81%	$20,861 -0.35%
2018-19	$5,783 8.93%	$12,308 9.65%	$28,477 -0.93%	$13,315 2.51%	$25,816 2.61%	$20,948 0.42%
2019-20	$5,891 1.87%	$12,460 1.23%	$28,451 -0.09%	$14,596 9.62%	$28,056 8.68%	$20,967 0.09%
2020-21	$6,063 2.92%	$12,785 2.61%	$29,014 1.98%	$14,062 -3.66%	$27,207 -3.03%	$20,935 -0.15%
2021-22	$6,203 2.31%	$13,071 2.24%	$28,954 -0.21%	$14,375 2.23%	$27,745 1.98%	$21,433 2.38%
2022-23	$6,369 2.68%	$13,501 3.29%	$29,272 1.10%	$15,045 4.66%	$29,159 5.10%	$22,384 4.44%
2023-24	$6,536 2.62%	$13,522 0.16%	$30,429 3.95%	$15,457 2.74%	$29,846 2.36%	$23,144 3.40%

Washington 4-Year Colleges Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Washington Graduate Schools Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Washington colleges
Year	Books & Supplies
2014-15	$1,125
2015-16	$1,140 1.33%
2016-17	$950 -16.67%
2017-18	$934 -1.68%
2018-19	$929 -0.54%
2019-20	$954 2.69%
2020-21	$961 0.73%
2021-22	$969 0.83%
2022-23	$894 -7.74%
2023-24	$895 0.11%

Living Costs Changes

For Washington colleges, the living have increased 37.20% when a student lives on campus facilities and 46.63% when living off campus from year 2015 to 2024. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.

Living Costs Changes for Washington colleges
Year	Living On Campus	Living Off Campus
2014-15	$12,556	$12,853
2015-16	$12,790 2.02%	$13,011 2.69%
2016-17	$12,985 3.76%	$13,332 4.02%
2017-18	$13,159 2.24%	$13,531 0.18%
2018-19	$13,625 4.36%	$14,136 2.62%
2019-20	$14,093 3.16%	$14,588 2.97%
2020-21	$14,484 2.99%	$14,968 2.09%
2021-22	$14,894 3.24%	$15,414 0.94%
2022-23	$16,168 10.34%	$16,686 26.49%
2023-24	$17,640 10.34%	$18,140 12.64%

Most Searched Washington Colleges (last 30 days)

4-Year Colleges

University of Washington-Seattle Campus Public, four-years | Seattle
Washington State University Public, four-years | Pullman
Gonzaga University Private, four-years | Spokane
Central Washington University Public, four-years | Ellensburg
Western Washington University Public, four-years | Bellingham
Wenatchee Valley College Public, four-years | Wenatchee
Eastern Washington University Public, four-years | Cheney
Bellevue College Public, four-years | Bellevue
Bellingham Technical College Public, four-years | Bellingham
Whitman College Private, four-years | Walla Walla

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Graduate

Seattle University Private, four-years | Seattle
Pacific Lutheran University Private, four-years | Tacoma
Gonzaga University Private, four-years | Spokane
Seattle Pacific University Private, four-years | Seattle
University of Puget Sound Private, four-years | Tacoma
Central Washington University Public, four-years | Ellensburg
City University of Seattle Private, four-years | Seattle
Washington State University Public, four-years | Pullman
Western Washington University Public, four-years | Bellingham
Bastyr University Private, four-years | Kenmore

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Online Schools

Eastern Washington University Public, four-years | Cheney
Columbia Basin College Public, four-years | Pasco
DigiPen Institute of Technology Private, four-years | Redmond
Bastyr University Private, four-years | Kenmore
Antioch University-Seattle Private, four-years | Seattle
City University of Seattle Private, four-years | Seattle
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Public, four-years | Seattle
Clover Park Technical College Public, four-years | Lakewood
Seattle Pacific University Private, four-years | Seattle
Central Washington University Public, four-years | Ellensburg

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Trade Schools

Perry Technical Institute Private, 2-4 years | Yakima
Elite Cosmetology, Barber & Spa Academy Private, Less than 2-years | Yakima
Divers Institute of Technology Private, Less than 2-years | Seattle
Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Shoreline Private, Less than 2-years | Shoreline
Pima Medical Institute-Seattle Private, 2-4 years | Seattle
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Seattle Private, Less than 2-years | Seattle
Studio Beauty School Private, Less than 2-years | Spokane Valley
BJ's Beauty & Barber College Private, Less than 2-years | Tacoma
Evergreen Beauty and Barber College-Everett Private, Less than 2-years | Everett
International Beauty Education Center Private, Less than 2-years | Airway Heights

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Tuition Trends for Washington colleges Over Past 10 Years

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Tuition & Fees Changes

Books & Supplies Costs Changes

Living Costs Changes