State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard

Cheapest Colleges in Washington

Name: Washington College Net Price Rankings
Creator: PlainCampus

Washington's median net price sits 18% below the national Scorecard median; Northwest Indian College leads the 83-school list at $3,136.

Compiled by PlainCampus , Independent campus-safety data publisher

$3,136
Cheapest net price: $14,091
Washington median: 83
Schools ranked

Northwest Indian College has the lowest average net price in Washington among Scorecard reporters

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Northwest Indian College posts the lowest average net price in Washington at $3,136 among 83 ranked schools, with the state median 18% below the $17,124 national median. Net price is what students paid after grant aid, not sticker tuition, and can reflect a narrow enrollment mix at specialty schools.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard

Cheapest net price: $3,136
Washington median: $14,091
Schools ranked: 83
National median: $17,124

Data updated August 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage

The list in one line

Northwest Indian College has the lowest average net price in Washington at $3,136/year, and the state's median net price is 18% below the $17,124 national median across 4,965 schools.

$3,136
cheapest ranked net price: $14,091
Washington median net price: 42 public / 41 private
schools in this ranking: $14,632
avg net price, <$30K income families

Average net price blends every income bracket; families under $30k average $14,632 here. Loans are excluded, open a school profile for the bracket table before treating one average as a personal cost.

Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at Pacific Lutheran University, where in-state published tuition of $52,254 falls to an average net price of $19,589 after aid, a $32,665 gap, the widest sticker-to-net gap among ranked Washington schools.

Across 83 ranked Washington schools, 42 are public and 41 are private. Sector sits beside every row because a low price at a specialty campus is not the same signal as a low price at a large public college.

The bar to make this top-25 list is $10,041. Here is where that cutoff sits among all 83 Scorecard-reporting Washington schools:

The bar to make Washington's top-25 cheapest list

Average net price after aid · 83 Scorecard-reporting schools

$10,041 Among the most affordable more affordable than 70% of 83 Washington colleges

Show national distribution

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more Washington colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2022–23

Washington's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price

Northwest Indian College Bellingham, WA · Public

Avg net price: $3,136
Net price (<$30K income): $2,630
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $29,768
Enrollment: 636

Grays Harbor College Aberdeen, WA · Public

Avg net price: $4,783
Net price (<$30K income): $2,988
Median debt: $11,075
Median earnings, 6yr: $33,119
Enrollment: 1,577

Spokane Community College Spokane, WA · Public

Avg net price: $5,473
Net price (<$30K income): $4,012
Median debt: $13,501
Median earnings, 6yr: $37,814
Enrollment: 6,813

Bellingham Technical College Bellingham, WA · Public

Avg net price: $5,997
Net price (<$30K income): $4,587
Median debt: $17,459
Median earnings, 6yr: $43,235
Enrollment: 2,047

South Seattle College Seattle, WA · Public

Avg net price: $6,004
Net price (<$30K income): $5,744
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $43,070
Enrollment: 5,210

Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon, WA · Public

Avg net price: $6,064
Net price (<$30K income): $4,337
Median debt: $13,805
Median earnings, 6yr: $36,892
Enrollment: 4,028

Bates Technical College Tacoma, WA · Public

Avg net price: $6,292
Net price (<$30K income): $4,403
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $45,569
Enrollment: 4,083

Stylemaster College of Hair Design Longview, WA · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $6,773
Net price (<$30K income): $6,387
Median debt: $8,953
Median earnings, 6yr: $20,770
Enrollment: 50

Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland, WA · Public

Avg net price: $6,817
Net price (<$30K income): $5,255
Median debt: $15,047
Median earnings, 6yr: $44,895
Enrollment: 3,564

Olympic College Bremerton, WA · Public

Avg net price: $7,172
Net price (<$30K income): $4,214
Median debt: $12,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $34,510
Enrollment: 5,784

Spokane Falls Community College Spokane, WA · Public

Avg net price: $7,409
Net price (<$30K income): $4,477
Median debt: $12,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $34,393
Enrollment: 4,319

Lower Columbia College Longview, WA · Public

Avg net price: $7,630
Net price (<$30K income): $6,078
Median debt: $10,506
Median earnings, 6yr: $36,296
Enrollment: 2,724

Renton Technical College Renton, WA · Public

Avg net price: $8,296
Net price (<$30K income): $7,034
Median debt: $7,920
Median earnings, 6yr: $45,679
Enrollment: 2,824

Columbia Basin College Pasco, WA · Public

Avg net price: $8,317
Net price (<$30K income): $7,010
Median debt: $14,829
Median earnings, 6yr: $38,255
Enrollment: 7,510

Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA · Public

Avg net price: $8,376
Net price (<$30K income): $7,112
Median debt: $13,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $38,790
Enrollment: 6,199

Shoreline Community College Shoreline, WA · Public

Avg net price: $8,585
Net price (<$30K income): $7,390
Median debt: $12,021
Median earnings, 6yr: $43,123
Enrollment: 4,477

Seattle Central College Seattle, WA · Public

Avg net price: $8,819
Net price (<$30K income): $7,883
Median debt: $12,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $39,072
Enrollment: 5,396

South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, WA · Public

Avg net price: $9,132
Net price (<$30K income): $7,757
Median debt: $11,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $37,270
Enrollment: 4,871

Peninsula College Port Angeles, WA · Public

Avg net price: $9,246
Net price (<$30K income): $8,721
Median debt: $15,786
Median earnings, 6yr: $34,154
Enrollment: 2,153

Walla Walla Community College Walla Walla, WA · Public

Avg net price: $9,406
Net price (<$30K income): $8,224
Median debt: $14,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $37,119
Enrollment: 2,967

Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee, WA · Public

Avg net price: $9,722
Net price (<$30K income): $7,094
Median debt: $10,332
Median earnings, 6yr: $37,011
Enrollment: 3,067

Centralia College Centralia, WA · Public

Avg net price: $9,862
Net price (<$30K income): $8,471
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $35,989
Enrollment: 2,244

Clover Park Technical College Lakewood, WA · Public

Avg net price: $9,864
Net price (<$30K income): $8,515
Median debt: $12,112
Median earnings, 6yr: $36,840
Enrollment: 3,408

Highline College Des Moines, WA · Public

Avg net price: $9,879
Net price (<$30K income): $8,984
Median debt: $9,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $42,323
Enrollment: 5,592

Pacific Northwest Christian College Kennewick, WA · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $10,041
Net price (<$30K income): $8,129
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: -
Enrollment: 130

#	College	Avg net price	Net price (<$30K income)	Median debt	Median earnings, 6yr	Enrollment
1	Northwest Indian College Bellingham, WA · Public	$3,136	$2,630	-	$29,768	636
2	Grays Harbor College Aberdeen, WA · Public	$4,783	$2,988	$11,075	$33,119	1,577
3	Spokane Community College Spokane, WA · Public	$5,473	$4,012	$13,501	$37,814	6,813
4	Bellingham Technical College Bellingham, WA · Public	$5,997	$4,587	$17,459	$43,235	2,047
5	South Seattle College Seattle, WA · Public	$6,004	$5,744	-	$43,070	5,210
6	Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon, WA · Public	$6,064	$4,337	$13,805	$36,892	4,028
7	Bates Technical College Tacoma, WA · Public	$6,292	$4,403	-	$45,569	4,083
8	Stylemaster College of Hair Design Longview, WA · Private for-profit	$6,773	$6,387	$8,953	$20,770	50
9	Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland, WA · Public	$6,817	$5,255	$15,047	$44,895	3,564
10	Olympic College Bremerton, WA · Public	$7,172	$4,214	$12,000	$34,510	5,784
11	Spokane Falls Community College Spokane, WA · Public	$7,409	$4,477	$12,000	$34,393	4,319
12	Lower Columbia College Longview, WA · Public	$7,630	$6,078	$10,506	$36,296	2,724
13	Renton Technical College Renton, WA · Public	$8,296	$7,034	$7,920	$45,679	2,824
14	Columbia Basin College Pasco, WA · Public	$8,317	$7,010	$14,829	$38,255	7,510
15	Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA · Public	$8,376	$7,112	$13,000	$38,790	6,199
16	Shoreline Community College Shoreline, WA · Public	$8,585	$7,390	$12,021	$43,123	4,477
17	Seattle Central College Seattle, WA · Public	$8,819	$7,883	$12,000	$39,072	5,396
18	South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, WA · Public	$9,132	$7,757	$11,000	$37,270	4,871
19	Peninsula College Port Angeles, WA · Public	$9,246	$8,721	$15,786	$34,154	2,153
20	Walla Walla Community College Walla Walla, WA · Public	$9,406	$8,224	$14,000	$37,119	2,967
21	Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee, WA · Public	$9,722	$7,094	$10,332	$37,011	3,067
22	Centralia College Centralia, WA · Public	$9,862	$8,471	-	$35,989	2,244
23	Clover Park Technical College Lakewood, WA · Public	$9,864	$8,515	$12,112	$36,840	3,408
24	Highline College Des Moines, WA · Public	$9,879	$8,984	$9,500	$42,323	5,592
25	Pacific Northwest Christian College Kennewick, WA · Private nonprofit	$10,041	$8,129	-	-	130

Showing the 25 cheapest of 83 Scorecard-reporting Washington schools. The remaining 58 are ranked in the same net-price order but omitted from this HTML table so the page stays crawlable.

Look up any institution's exact rank via My School Profile, or open its school page for income-bracket net price, debt, and earnings.

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What this means for you

Use Washington's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.

Northwest Indian College reports the lowest average net price in Washington, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View Northwest Indian College
See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. Washington safety

Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.

Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. This page lists the 25 cheapest; the title count is the full Scorecard-reporting cohort for Washington. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.

Washington's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price

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