Washington Private Colleges and Universities

Independent Colleges and Universities in Washington

Washington State provides the perfect backdrop for those who like to study while taking in a variety of environmental pleasures. From a ferry ride on Puget Sound to a stroll near the snowcapped mountains surrounding Seattle, there are activities for everyone.

Washington private colleges and universities offer a wide range of education programs with degrees and certificates up to the doctoral level, as well as professional degrees such as law and medicine. These Washington private schools are diverse in character, academic emphasis, and origins. Some private colleges or schools have a religious affiliation; others are secular. Private colleges and universities may be profit or non-profit institutions. Typically, Washington independent colleges or private schools give weight to personal characteristics and activities in addition to considering GPA and test scores. While many Washington private schools are considerably more expensive than comparable state institutions, they also tend to offer more generous financial aid packages. Many students have found the actual out-of-pocket cost to earn a degree from a private college in Washington to be less than the cost of the state schools to which they were accepted. On the one hand, public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state residents. They get most of their money from the state or local government. Check out your state's Guide to Residency. Washington private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and other private sources of funding. On the other hand, Washington private colleges are usually smaller and can offer more personalized attention (and some believe, more prestige).

Washington College Graduate and Undergraduate Degrees

Washington Cities Colleges:

Washington Private Colleges and Universities

ICW's mission is to expand opportunity and choice for students by promoting the value and vitality of high-quality, academically rigorous independent higher education, and by broadening access through enhanced student aid.

The mission is accomplished by

• Advocating public policy that supports students and recognizes independent colleges as vital partners in the state;
• Raising funds primarily for student financial aid at member colleges;
• Increasing the visibility of ICW and the independent higher education sector;
• Coordinating collaborative activities that benefit students and member institutions.

• Antioch University Seattle, Seattle
• Bastyr University, Kenmore
• City University, Bellevue
• Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle
• Crown College, Tacoma
• Faith Seminary, Tacoma
• Gonzaga University, Spokane
• Cogswell Polytechnical College, Everett
• Heritage University, Toppenish
• Northwest Baptist Seminary, Tacoma
• Northwest College of Art, Poulsbo
• Northwestern University, Seattle
• Northwest University, Kirkland
• Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma
• Puget Sound ChristianFoundation, Mountlake Terrace
• Saint Martin's College, Lacey
• Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine, Seattle
• Seattle Pacific University, Seattle
• Seattle University, Seattle
• Trinity Lutheran College, Issaquah
• University of Puget Sound, Tacoma
• Walla Walla College, College Place
• Webster University at Fairchild AFB, Fairchild AFB
• Whitman College, Walla Walla
• Whitworth College, Spokane