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Source: National Center for Educational Statistics. This is the most recent data available as of January 2021
Questions & Answers
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What do all these numbers mean?
All costs shown here are the average net cost paid by families in each income bracket for one year at the college in question. Net cost is the total cost of attendance for one year, minus government grants and institutional scholarships. Figures are based on data from the 2018-19 school year, which is the latest available as of January 2021.
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What is “Total Cost” on the chart?
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for one year at that particular college. It includes:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
There are detailed chart below for each school that shows these expenses. Click here to go to the individual cost breakdown for schools.
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How can I use this information?
This information is useful for building a realistic college budget. It's a good place to start until you better understand your specific circumstances. For example, let's say your income is $100,000 per year. This chart shows that the average state school would run $17,806 and the average private school would be $29,555. You can also get information on specific Washington schools in the chart above or the tables below.
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Will my family pay the amount on this chart?
Probably not. The numbers are averages. You may be below average or above average. However, there are two key points we can learn from this data:
- Families with higher incomes ($75,000-$110,000 and $110,000+) will most likely pay close to full price at the public schools.
- Private colleges have a higher list price but offer more discounts. This brings their net price much closer to the cost of state-funded schools.
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Where did this information come from?
As part of federal financial aid, colleges are required to provide detailed cost information to the U.S. government. This data is made available to the public through the National Center for Education Statistics. For more details, click here.
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What about athletes, merit aid or minority students?
Athletes, high achieving students, and those with minority status are averaged in with everyone else. Within each income bracket, there are families that pay more than average and families that pay less than average.
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The costs on this chart seem large. How can families afford to pay it?
For many families paying for college is not easy, but in the end they figure out. Most families will pay their net cost of college with some combination of:
- College savings and investments
- Payments from current income
- Loans
- Outside scholarships (check out the Scholarship Guide For Busy Parents to learn how your student can win scholarships)
- Tax planning
- Student work
Net Price:
Net prices is the total cost of attendance for one year, minus the average amount in government grants and institutional scholarships the school awards. This is an average, so you may pay above the average or below the average. Your exact net price is likely to be different and sometimes drastically different.
Most families will pay the net price with some combination of savings and investments, current income and various loans. Some students will also receive scholarships from sources other than the federal or state government or the college. Any scholarships and grants from these outside sources are not included in the data. However, government grants and institutional scholarships are included in the averages.
| Total Cost at University of Washington-Seattle (2018-19) | |
|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | $10,974 |
| Room and Board | $12,117 |
| Books | $825 |
| Other Expenses | $2,679 |
| Total | $26,595 |
Total Cost:
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for that particular institution for the 2018-19 school year. This is the latest data available as of January 2021. Total costs include:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
| College Total Cost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Family Income | WA Public $23,405 | WA Private $56,416 |
| $0 - $30k | $8,101 | $20,042 |
| $30,001 – $48k | $9,070 | $20,686 |
| $48,001 – $75k | $12,046 | $24,664 |
| $75,001 – $110k | $17,806 | $29,555 |
| $110,001+ | $19,744 | $34,775 |
Public vs. Private Averages
This table shows the average total cost of attendance for the Washington public and private colleges we have included in our analysis. The costs include a breakdown of the average net price paid by family income. Notice that the average private college is $12,000-$16,000 more than the average public school, depending on your income bracket. It is important to stress that these are averages. Most families will not be average, and their individual circumstances could be drastically different. I encourage all families to work with their preferred colleges to get information specific to their family.
Below are similar charts for each individual private and public college in Washington. Click a school to view its complete chart.
Public WA Schools Cost Breakdown
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Bellevue College
Bellevue Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $3,778 $3,866 Room and Board $12,906 $12,930 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $3,030 $3,600 Total $20,584 $21,296 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,386 $6,607 $30,001 - $48k $7,478 $7,737 $48,001 - $75k $10,173 $10,525 $75,001 - $110k $12,403 $12,832 $110,001+ $14,277 $14,771 -
Central Washington University
Ellensburg Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $8,072 $8,273 Room and Board $11,115 $12,637 Books $1,002 $900 Other Expenses $3,012 $2,922 Total $23,201 $24,732 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $9,875 $10,527 $30,001 - $48k $11,423 $12,177 $48,001 - $75k $15,744 $16,783 $75,001 - $110k $20,133 $21,462 $110,001+ $21,256 $22,659 -
Centralia College
Centralia Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $4,437 $4,542 Room and Board $10,440 $10,770 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $3,510 $3,510 Total $19,257 $19,722 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $4,983 $5,103 $30,001 - $48k $6,329 $6,482 $48,001 - $75k $8,967 $9,184 $75,001 - $110k $11,211 $11,482 $110,001+ $10,595 $10,851 -
Clark College
Vancouver Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $4,287 $3,879 Room and Board $0 $0 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $0 $0 Total $5,157 $4,779 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,654 $6,166 $30,001 - $48k $8,226 $7,623 $48,001 - $75k $10,736 $9,949 $75,001 - $110k $13,610 $12,612 $110,001+ $14,019 $12,991 -
Columbia Basin College
Pasco Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $5,288 $5,613 Room and Board $9,820 $9,875 Books $835 $840 Other Expenses $2,125 $2,255 Total $18,068 $18,583 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $8,522 $8,765 $30,001 - $48k $9,395 $9,663 $48,001 - $75k $11,345 $11,668 $75,001 - $110k $14,817 $15,239 $110,001+ $15,822 $16,273 -
Eastern Washington University
Cheney Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $7,323 $7,526 Room and Board $12,058 $12,405 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $2,760 $2,700 Total $23,011 $23,531 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $8,473 $8,664 $30,001 - $48k $8,821 $9,020 $48,001 - $75k $12,856 $13,147 $75,001 - $110k $17,852 $18,255 $110,001+ $18,900 $19,327 -
The Evergreen State College
Olympia Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $7,746 $8,217 Room and Board $11,346 $12,363 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $3,435 $3,525 Total $23,397 $25,005 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $9,881 $10,560 $30,001 - $48k $12,311 $13,157 $48,001 - $75k $16,867 $18,026 $75,001 - $110k $21,893 $23,398 $110,001+ $22,553 $24,103 -
Pierce College-Fort Steilacoom
Lakewood Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $3,862 $4,041 Room and Board $9,690 $9,690 Books $1,000 $1,000 Other Expenses $3,852 $3,570 Total $18,404 $18,301 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $7,225 $7,185 $30,001 - $48k $7,572 $7,530 $48,001 - $75k $10,999 $10,937 $75,001 - $110k $14,778 $14,695 $110,001+ $14,803 $14,720 -
Grays Harbor College
Aberdeen Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $4,080 $4,204 Room and Board $0 $0 Books $873 $900 Other Expenses $0 $0 Total $4,953 $5,104 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $5,218 $5,377 $30,001 - $48k $7,032 $7,246 $48,001 - $75k $8,585 $8,847 $75,001 - $110k $11,683 $12,039 $110,001+ $10,136 $10,445 -
Green River College
Auburn Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $4,053 $4,141 Room and Board $0 $0 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $0 $0 Total $4,923 $5,041 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $7,286 $7,461 $30,001 - $48k $7,933 $8,123 $48,001 - $75k $10,408 $10,657 $75,001 - $110k $13,692 $14,020 $110,001+ $14,283 $14,625 -
Highline College
Des Moines Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $4,026 $4,127 Room and Board $0 $9,864 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $0 $3,600 Total $4,896 $18,491 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,896 $26,045 $30,001 - $48k $5,645 $21,320 $48,001 - $75k $9,088 $34,323 $75,001 - $110k $10,627 $40,136 $110,001+ $12,760 $48,191 -
Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Kirkland Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $4,251 $4,418 Room and Board $0 $0 Books $1,008 $1,035 Other Expenses $0 $0 Total $5,259 $5,453 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,852 $7,105 $30,001 - $48k $6,852 $7,105 $48,001 - $75k $9,490 $9,840 $75,001 - $110k $13,846 $14,357 $110,001+ $13,846 $14,357 -
North Seattle College
Seattle Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $4,461 $4,625 Room and Board $0 $0 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $0 $0 Total $5,331 $5,525 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $4,617 $4,785 $30,001 - $48k $4,654 $4,823 $48,001 - $75k $7,915 $8,203 $75,001 - $110k $8,784 $9,104 $110,001+ $12,903 $13,373
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Olympic College
Bremerton Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $3,771 $3,880 Room and Board $10,255 $10,355 Books $1,240 $1,250 Other Expenses $3,355 $3,955 Total $18,621 $19,440 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,683 $6,977 $30,001 - $48k $7,120 $7,433 $48,001 - $75k $7,639 $7,975 $75,001 - $110k $11,883 $12,406 $110,001+ $13,646 $14,246 -
Peninsula College
Port Angeles Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $4,453 $4,126 Room and Board $0 $0 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $0 $0 Total $5,323 $5,026 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $4,231 $3,995 $30,001 - $48k $5,555 $5,245 $48,001 - $75k $7,724 $7,293 $75,001 - $110k $11,417 $10,780 $110,001+ $11,450 $10,811 -
Renton Technical College
Renton Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $5,466 $5,567 Room and Board $0 $0 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $0 $0 Total $6,336 $6,467 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $7,031 $7,176 $30,001 - $48k $6,851 $6,993 $48,001 - $75k $9,149 $9,338 $75,001 - $110k $0 $0 $110,001+ $12,786 $13,050 -
South Seattle College
Seattle Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $4,717 $4,717 Room and Board $0 $0 Books $845 $845 Other Expenses $0 $0 Total $5,562 $5,562 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $7,550 $7,550 $30,001 - $48k $7,965 $7,965 $48,001 - $75k $10,615 $10,615 $75,001 - $110k $12,154 $12,154 $110,001+ $13,735 $13,735 -
Seattle Central College
Seattle Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $3,669 $3,779 Room and Board $0 $0 Books $825 $865 Other Expenses $0 $0 Total $4,494 $4,644 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $2,506 $2,590 $30,001 - $48k $3,879 $4,008 $48,001 - $75k $7,694 $7,951 $75,001 - $110k $8,582 $8,868 $110,001+ $10,449 $10,798 -
Skagit Valley College
Mount Vernon Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $4,200 $4,000 Room and Board $9,600 $9,600 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $3,000 $3,000 Total $18,000 $17,800 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,905 $6,828 $30,001 - $48k $6,853 $6,777 $48,001 - $75k $9,427 $9,322 $75,001 - $110k $12,702 $12,561 $110,001+ $13,816 $13,662 -
Washington State University
Pullman Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $11,584 $11,841 Room and Board $11,398 $11,648 Books $960 $960 Other Expenses $3,542 $3,542 Total $27,484 $27,991 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $9,334 $9,506 $30,001 - $48k $11,337 $11,546 $48,001 - $75k $15,548 $15,835 $75,001 - $110k $22,090 $22,497 $110,001+ $23,961 $24,403 -
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $11,207 $11,465 Room and Board $12,798 $13,296 Books $900 $900 Other Expenses $2,733 $2,733 Total $27,638 $28,394 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $7,850 $8,065 $30,001 - $48k $7,467 $7,671 $48,001 - $75k $9,694 $9,959 $75,001 - $110k $18,110 $18,605 $110,001+ $24,879 $25,560 -
Western Washington University
Bellingham Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $8,126 $8,343 Room and Board $11,466 $12,036 Books $924 $954 Other Expenses $3,561 $3,672 Total $24,077 $25,005 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $9,743 $10,119 $30,001 - $48k $11,228 $11,661 $48,001 - $75k $16,398 $17,030 $75,001 - $110k $21,213 $22,031 $110,001+ $22,069 $22,920 -
Yakima Valley College
Yakima Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $5,163 $4,285 Room and Board $7,860 $8,100 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $3,450 $3,570 Total $17,343 $16,855 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,900 $6,706 $30,001 - $48k $7,628 $7,413 $48,001 - $75k $9,997 $9,716 $75,001 - $110k $13,638 $13,254 $110,001+ $14,470 $14,063 -
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $11,138 $11,390 Room and Board $11,877 $12,636 Books $900 $900 Other Expenses $3,789 $3,789 Total $27,704 $28,715 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,922 $7,175 $30,001 - $48k $8,355 $8,660 $48,001 - $75k $9,118 $9,451 $75,001 - $110k $18,702 $19,384 $110,001+ $21,394 $22,175 -
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $11,261 $11,639 Room and Board $11,028 $11,748 Books $900 $900 Other Expenses $3,789 $3,309 Total $26,978 $27,596 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,545 $6,695 $30,001 - $48k $7,222 $7,387 $48,001 - $75k $9,213 $9,424 $75,001 - $110k $17,651 $18,055 $110,001+ $20,241 $20,705 -
Cascadia College
Bothell Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $3,931 $4,055 Room and Board $0 $0 Books $825 $825 Other Expenses $0 $0 Total $4,756 $4,880 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $6,549 $6,720 $30,001 - $48k $7,999 $8,208 $48,001 - $75k $10,442 $10,714 $75,001 - $110k $14,457 $14,834 $110,001+ $15,181 $15,577
Private WA Schools Cost Breakdown
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Gonzaga University
Spokane Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $43,210 $45,140 Room and Board $11,944 $12,330 Books $1,124 $1,158 Other Expenses $3,517 $3,622 Total $59,795 $62,250 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $23,389 $24,349 $30,001 - $48k $23,111 $24,060 $48,001 - $75k $28,186 $29,343 $75,001 - $110k $35,416 $36,870 $110,001+ $38,860 $40,455 -
Northwest University
Kirkland Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $31,540 $32,960 Room and Board $8,630 $9,000 Books $840 $870 Other Expenses $2,430 $2,470 Total $43,440 $45,300 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $15,871 $16,551 $30,001 - $48k $15,049 $15,693 $48,001 - $75k $18,878 $19,686 $75,001 - $110k $22,135 $23,083 $110,001+ $27,127 $28,289 -
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $42,436 $43,674 Room and Board $10,790 $10,876 Books $840 $900 Other Expenses $2,718 $2,808 Total $56,784 $58,258 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,344 $17,794 $30,001 - $48k $17,998 $18,465 $48,001 - $75k $20,369 $20,898 $75,001 - $110k $27,598 $28,314 $110,001+ $28,021 $28,748 -
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $49,776 $51,740 Room and Board $12,540 $13,000 Books $1,000 $1,000 Other Expenses $2,300 $2,406 Total $65,616 $68,146 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $26,828 $27,862 $30,001 - $48k $25,500 $26,483 $48,001 - $75k $31,976 $33,209 $75,001 - $110k $35,410 $36,775 $110,001+ $42,141 $43,766 -
Saint Martin's University
Lacey Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $37,356 $38,560 Room and Board $11,446 $12,000 Books $1,000 $1,000 Other Expenses $3,000 $3,000 Total $52,802 $54,560 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,804 $18,397 $30,001 - $48k $18,503 $19,119 $48,001 - $75k $22,338 $23,082 $75,001 - $110k $23,533 $24,317 $110,001+ $30,545 $31,562
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Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $42,939 $45,078 Room and Board $11,796 $12,285 Books $870 $900 Other Expenses $3,189 $3,189 Total $58,794 $61,452 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $19,900 $20,800 $30,001 - $48k $20,595 $21,526 $48,001 - $75k $24,790 $25,911 $75,001 - $110k $29,341 $30,667 $110,001+ $35,185 $36,776 -
Seattle University
Seattle Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $44,610 $46,590 Room and Board $12,288 $12,531 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $3,510 $3,600 Total $61,608 $63,921 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $23,730 $24,621 $30,001 - $48k $27,256 $28,279 $48,001 - $75k $31,620 $32,807 $75,001 - $110k $36,179 $37,537 $110,001+ $38,965 $40,428 -
Walla Walla University
College Place Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $28,035 $28,881 Room and Board $7,455 $7,680 Books $900 $990 Other Expenses $1,500 $1,944 Total $37,890 $39,495 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $15,369 $16,020 $30,001 - $48k $17,796 $18,550 $48,001 - $75k $20,230 $21,087 $75,001 - $110k $22,614 $23,572 $110,001+ $25,042 $26,103 -
Whitman College
Walla Walla Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $52,764 $53,820 Room and Board $13,118 $13,512 Books $1,400 $1,400 Other Expenses $800 $800 Total $68,082 $69,532 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $22,616 $23,098 $30,001 - $48k $23,487 $23,987 $48,001 - $75k $26,974 $27,548 $75,001 - $110k $33,017 $33,720 $110,001+ $47,166 $48,171 -
Whitworth University
Spokane Year 2018-19 2019-20 Tuition and Fees $43,640 $44,940 Room and Board $11,496 $11,800 Books $864 $912 Other Expenses $3,350 $3,436 Total $59,350 $61,088 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,565 $18,079 $30,001 - $48k $17,561 $18,075 $48,001 - $75k $21,283 $21,906 $75,001 - $110k $30,302 $31,189 $110,001+ $34,694 $35,710
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