State profile · WA · Clery Act

Safest Colleges in Washington

Federal Clery Act filings for all 91 tracked Washington campuses, ranked by 2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students. Among nonzero reporters, South Puget Sound Community College currently has the lowest rate.

91
Institutions tracked
2.46
Avg campus rate / 1k (91 of 91 scored)
3.18
Statewide rate / 1k
#43
Rank by avg campus rate
335,184
Students enrolled

Among nonzero Clery reporters, South Puget Sound Community College has the lowest rate in Washington

According to U.S. Department of Education Clery Act filings, across 91 tracked campuses in Washington, 30 reported zero 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents used in the rate; among campuses with any in those categories, South Puget Sound Community College has the lowest rate at 0.21 per 1,000 students. This comparison excludes other Clery tables and unreported harm, so review the details before drawing a safety conclusion.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey

campuses tracked
91
average campus, per 1,000 (91 of 91 scored)
2.46
lowest nonzero rate - South Puget Sound
0.21
campuses at zero in score categories
30

Data updated August 2026

Clery Act plate

Sheet WA · Washington 2.46/1k campus avg · #43/59

RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · ZERO-MIX · WT-LARGE-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-MID

  • RATE-MID 2.46/1k
  • RANK-LOWER #43/59
  • PHOTO-FINISH Massachusetts · ±0.03
  • ZERO-MIX 33% zero
  • WT-LARGE-HOT Δ −0.72
  • BOOK-FULL 91/91
  • CONC-MID top5 36%

Nearest campus-rate peer: Massachusetts (-0.03/1k)

Washington sheet RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · ZERO-MIX · WT-LARGE-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-MID · peer Massachusetts. Codes from this state’s OPE Campus Safety filing: unweighted campus rate, corpus rank (low = safer), photo-finish peer state, zero-report share, campus-vs-weighted gap, scored book, top-five enrollment concentration. Not a moving recommendation.

Clery plate RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · ZERO-MIX · WT-LARGE-HOT · BOOK-FULL · CONC-MID. Nearest unweighted-rate peer is Massachusetts (-0.03/1k). Among nonzero reporters inside the state, South Puget Sound Community College leads at 0.21/1k. Instrument codes from this state's OPE Campus Safety sheet; compare similarly sized campuses before treating any single rate as decisive.

Washington's unweighted average campus rate is higher than most scored U.S. states (only 27% of states report a higher average). Even so, South Puget Sound Community College leads nonzero reporters here at 0.21/1k, with Lake Washington Institute of Technology (0.28/1k); Clark College (0.40/1k) next. The five largest campuses account for 36% of enrollment, weigh large-campus rates separately from small ones.

Campus-rate neighbourhood around Washington

Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Washington on unweighted average campus Clery rate. Full ladder: /rankings/.

per 1,000 students

What this shows Neighbourhood of scored states around Washington's 2.46/1k unweighted campus average, not a full 50-state board reprint.

Source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey (Clery Act) As of 2024

Safest colleges in Washington, ranked by reported rate

Ranked from the lowest 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA rate upward, counting only the 61 Washington campuses with at least one incident in those score categories. Showing the top 50 here so the page stays crawlable; positions are numbered within the full nonzero group.

3
Clark CollegeVancouver · 7,463 students
Enrollment
7,463
Incidents /1k
0.40
11
Edmonds CollegeLynnwood · 6,549 students
Enrollment
6,549
Incidents /1k
0.92
25
Olympic CollegeBremerton · 5,784 students
Enrollment
5,784
Incidents /1k
1.56
47
Whitman CollegeWalla Walla · 1,561 students
Enrollment
1,561
Incidents /1k
5.12
#CampusEnrollmentIncidents /1k
1South Puget Sound Community CollegeOlympia · 4,871 students4,8710.214% of the leader · rank #1
2Lake Washington Institute of TechnologyKirkland · 3,564 students3,5640.284% of the leader · rank #2
3Clark CollegeVancouver · 7,463 students7,4630.404% of the leader · rank #3
4Clover Park Technical CollegeLakewood · 3,408 students3,4080.594% of the leader · rank #4
5Spokane Community CollegeSpokane · 6,813 students6,8130.594% of the leader · rank #5
6Renton Technical CollegeRenton · 2,824 students2,8240.714% of the leader · rank #6
7North Seattle CollegeSeattle · 5,569 students5,5690.724% of the leader · rank #7
8Lower Columbia CollegeLongview · 2,724 students2,7240.734% of the leader · rank #8
9University of Washington-Tacoma CampusTacoma · 4,965 students4,9650.814% of the leader · rank #9
10Evergreen Beauty and Barber College-EverettEverett · 1,172 students1,1720.854% of the leader · rank #10
11Edmonds CollegeLynnwood · 6,549 students6,5490.924% of the leader · rank #11
12DigiPen Institute of TechnologyRedmond · 1,084 students1,0840.924% of the leader · rank #12
13Wenatchee Valley CollegeWenatchee · 3,067 students3,0670.984% of the leader · rank #13
14Pierce College DistrictLakewood · 8,137 students8,1370.984% of the leader · rank #14
15University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell · 6,058 students6,0580.994% of the leader · rank #15
16City University of SeattleSeattle · 2,007 students2,0071.004% of the leader · rank #16
17Yakima Valley CollegeYakima · 3,809 students3,8091.055% of the leader · rank #17
18Big Bend Community CollegeMoses Lake · 1,857 students1,8571.085% of the leader · rank #18
19South Seattle CollegeSeattle · 5,210 students5,2101.155% of the leader · rank #19
20Bellevue CollegeBellevue · 12,485 students12,4851.286% of the leader · rank #20
21Peninsula CollegePort Angeles · 2,153 students2,1531.396% of the leader · rank #21
22Saint Martin's UniversityLacey · 1,390 students1,3901.446% of the leader · rank #22
23Bellingham Technical CollegeBellingham · 2,047 students2,0471.476% of the leader · rank #23
24Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended EducationKirkland · 1,352 students1,3521.486% of the leader · rank #24
25Olympic CollegeBremerton · 5,784 students5,7841.567% of the leader · rank #25
26Columbia Basin CollegePasco · 7,510 students7,5101.607% of the leader · rank #26
27Bates Technical CollegeTacoma · 4,083 students4,0831.717% of the leader · rank #27
28Skagit Valley CollegeMount Vernon · 4,028 students4,0281.747% of the leader · rank #28
29Perry Technical InstituteYakima · 1,072 students1,0721.878% of the leader · rank #29
30Northwest UniversityKirkland · 1,053 students1,0531.908% of the leader · rank #30
31Tacoma Community CollegeTacoma · 6,199 students6,1991.948% of the leader · rank #31
32Everett Community CollegeEverett · 6,698 students6,6981.948% of the leader · rank #32
33Shoreline Community CollegeShoreline · 4,477 students4,4772.019% of the leader · rank #33
34Eastern Washington UniversityCheney · 10,492 students10,4922.199% of the leader · rank #34
35Green River CollegeAuburn · 7,967 students7,9672.3810% of the leader · rank #35
36Washington State UniversityPullman · 25,685 students25,6852.4110% of the leader · rank #36
37Cascadia CollegeBothell · 2,380 students2,3802.5211% of the leader · rank #37
38Highline CollegeDes Moines · 5,592 students5,5922.6812% of the leader · rank #38
39Western Washington UniversityBellingham · 14,710 students14,7102.8612% of the leader · rank #39
40Walla Walla Community CollegeWalla Walla · 2,967 students2,9673.0313% of the leader · rank #40
41Central Washington UniversityEllensburg · 10,811 students10,8113.3314% of the leader · rank #41
42Whatcom Community CollegeBellingham · 3,674 students3,6744.0818% of the leader · rank #42
43Gonzaga UniversitySpokane · 7,470 students7,4704.1518% of the leader · rank #43
44UEI College-TacomaTacoma · 689 students6894.3519% of the leader · rank #44
45Northwest Indian CollegeBellingham · 636 students6364.7220% of the leader · rank #45
46Divers Institute of TechnologySeattle · 198 students1985.0522% of the leader · rank #46
47Whitman CollegeWalla Walla · 1,561 students1,5615.1222% of the leader · rank #47
48University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle · 56,997 students56,9975.5124% of the leader · rank #48
49Centralia CollegeCentralia · 2,244 students2,2445.7925% of the leader · rank #49
50Seattle Central CollegeSeattle · 5,396 students5,3966.1226% of the leader · rank #50

11 additional nonzero-reporting campuses rank below this top-50 list in the same rate order.

Look up any campus via the Campus Safety Incident Tool or browse all schools.

Unranked campuses (30): zero score or no normalized rate

30 filed zero 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents in the score categories; other Clery tables can still contain reports. Neither group supports a safety ordering, so these campuses are listed alphabetically without positions. Showing 15 alphabetically; the remaining 15 stay out of this HTML table so large states stay crawlable.

#CampusEnrollmentIncidents /1k
Academy of Interactive EntertainmentSeattle · 47 students470.00
Antioch University-SeattleSeattle · 771 students7710.00
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute SeattleSeattle · 154 students1540.00
Bastyr UniversityKenmore · 734 students7340.00
Carrington College-SpokaneSpokane · 353 students3530.00
Centralia Beauty CollegeCentralia · 90 students900.00
Elite Cosmetology, Barber & Spa AcademyYakima · 118 students1180.00
Faith International UniversityTacoma · 464 students4640.00
Grays Harbor CollegeAberdeen · 1,577 students1,5770.00
Great Northern UniversitySpokane · 48 students480.00
Heritage UniversityToppenish · 937 students9370.00
International Beauty Education CenterAirway Heights · 146 students1460.00
Northwest HVAC/R Training CenterSpokane · 50 students500.00
Northwest School of Wooden Boat BuildingPort Hadlock · 50 students500.00
Pacific Northwest Christian CollegeKennewick · 130 students1300.00

Open any remaining campus from the school directory or the incident tool.

The largest universities in Washington by enrollment

Enrollment leaders: University of Washington-Seattle Campus (56,997); Washington State University (25,685); Western Washington University (14,710), then 88 more. The 15 biggest Washington institutions by total enrolled students, from the same federal IPEDS collection, each shown with its 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA rate. The five largest alone account for 36% of the 335,184 students enrolled across all 91 tracked Washington institutions. Mid-pack by size sits near University of Puget Sound (1,864 students, 15.02/1k).

11
Clark CollegeVancouver · 7,463 students
Enrollment
7,463
Incidents /1k
0.40
15
Edmonds CollegeLynnwood · 6,549 students
Enrollment
6,549
Incidents /1k
0.92
#InstitutionEnrollmentIncidents /1k
1University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle · 56,997 students56,997100% of the leader · rank #15.51
2Washington State UniversityPullman · 25,685 students25,68545% of the leader · rank #22.41
3Western Washington UniversityBellingham · 14,710 students14,71026% of the leader · rank #32.86
4Bellevue CollegeBellevue · 12,485 students12,48522% of the leader · rank #41.28
5Central Washington UniversityEllensburg · 10,811 students10,81119% of the leader · rank #53.33
6Eastern Washington UniversityCheney · 10,492 students10,49218% of the leader · rank #62.19
7Pierce College DistrictLakewood · 8,137 students8,13714% of the leader · rank #70.98
8Green River CollegeAuburn · 7,967 students7,96714% of the leader · rank #82.38
9Columbia Basin CollegePasco · 7,510 students7,51013% of the leader · rank #91.60
10Gonzaga UniversitySpokane · 7,470 students7,47013% of the leader · rank #104.15
11Clark CollegeVancouver · 7,463 students7,46313% of the leader · rank #110.40
12Seattle UniversitySeattle · 7,189 students7,18913% of the leader · rank #127.79
13Spokane Community CollegeSpokane · 6,813 students6,81312% of the leader · rank #130.59
14Everett Community CollegeEverett · 6,698 students6,69812% of the leader · rank #141.94
15Edmonds CollegeLynnwood · 6,549 students6,54911% of the leader · rank #150.92

Enrollment is total reported students, not full-time equivalent, and a branch campus is reported separately from its parent institution. A larger campus is not a less safe one: the incident rate beside it is already per 1,000 students.

Nationwide states with similar campus scale or Clery rate

Two nationwide peer sets for Washington: closest on tracked campus count (91 here) and closest on unweighted average 2024 Clery rate (2.46/1k here). The rate-neighbourhood and keep-peer blocks above stay geo-adjacent; these columns are cross-state ABS comparisons with deduped link sets.

Similar campus count

Nearest other states by number of tracked postsecondary institutions (≥5 scored campuses in corpus).

Similar campus Clery rate

Nearest other states by unweighted average on-campus Clery rate. Campus-count peers above are excluded.

Read with this state

Keep-peer handoff: Massachusetts sits nearest on unweighted campus average (-0.03/1k). Inside Washington, open South Puget Sound Community College's campus sheet next.

South Puget Sound Community College profile → | All states → | Washington net price → | Incident tool → | Methodology →

Washington campus safety FAQ

What are the safest colleges in Washington?

Among Washington campuses that reported at least one 2024 Criminal Offense or VAWA incident in the Clery categories used here, South Puget Sound Community College has the lowest rate (0.21 per 1,000 students). Next among nonzero reporters: Lake Washington Institute of Technology (0.28/1k); Clark College (0.40/1k). 30 campuses reported zero in those score categories and are listed separately without a safety ordinal, because a zero report is not the same as a proven safer campus.

How does PlainCampus rank campus safety in Washington?

In Washington, campuses with any 2024 Criminal Offenses or VAWA incidents in the score categories are ordered by incidents per 1,000 students - South Puget Sound Community College currently leads that nonzero list at 0.21/1k. Zero-report and unscored campuses stay unranked and alphabetical. See /methodology for the full rate definition.

How many colleges in Washington are compared?

This page covers 91 tracked higher-education institutions in Washington, serving about 335,184 enrolled students combined across 41 cities. 61 carry a ranked nonzero rate; 30 are listed without a safety ordinal. By enrollment the largest are University of Washington-Seattle Campus (56,997); Washington State University (25,685); Western Washington University (14,710). Nearby state averages for context: Massachusetts (2.43/1k); Nebraska (2.42/1k); Alaska (2.41/1k); Oregon (2.52/1k); North Dakota (2.38/1k); American Samoa (2.37/1k).

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure 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.