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Best Value General Education Schools in Washington

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2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Washington

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

15 Colleges
$27,339 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$56,467 Avg Salary

Finding the Best General Education School for You

General Education is the #21 most popular major in Washington with 728 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value General Education Schools in Washington ranking. Our analysis looked at 15 schools in Washington to see which programs offered the best value experiences for education students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Washington

The following schools top our list of the Best Value General Education Colleges.

Top 10 Best General Education Schools

$11,950 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named University of Washington - Bothell Campus the best value school in Washington for general education students. UW Bothell is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Bothell.

UW Bothell undergraduate students pay an average of $11,950 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, education graduates from UW Bothell carry an average student debtload of $15,752.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UW Bothell is ranked #3 for overall quality for education in Washington.

Read More…

$12,076 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Washington list. Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UW Seattle are $12,076 a year. Education majors at UW Seattle take out an average of $15,752 in student loans while working on their egree.

UW Seattle not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best General Education Schools in Washington list.

Full General Education at University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report

#3

Whitworth University

Spokane, WA
$47,590 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Whitworth University is a great value for general education students. Located in the suburb of Spokane, Whitworth is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Whitworth undergraduate students pay an average of $47,590 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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$8,685 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Washington University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Washington list. Located in the town of Ellensburg, CWU is a public school with a large student population.

CWU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,685 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

#5

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA
$48,470 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gonzaga University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Washington list. Located in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Gonzaga are $48,470 a year.

Gonzaga did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best General Education Schools in Washington list.

Read full report on General Education at Gonzaga University

$12,196 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, University of Washington - Tacoma Campus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. UW Tacoma is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Tacoma.

UW Tacoma undergraduate students pay an average of $12,196 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, education graduates from UW Tacoma take out $15,752 in student loans while working on their degree.

UW Tacoma also took the #1 spot in our Best General Education Schools in Washington rankings.

Read full report on General Education at University of Washington - Tacoma Campus

$7,922 Average Tuition & Fees

Eastern Washington University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in Washington ranking. Located in the town of Cheney, EWU is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at EWU are $7,922 a year.

Full General Education at Eastern Washington University Report

#8

Heritage University

Toppenish, WA
$18,500 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, Heritage University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. Located in the rural area of Toppenish, Heritage University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Heritage University undergraduate students pay an average of $18,500 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full General Education at Heritage University Report

$11,970 Average Tuition & Fees

Northwest University - College of Adult and Professional Studies did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #9 on the list. Northwest University CAPS is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Kirkland.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Northwest University CAPS are $11,970 a year.

Read full report on General Education at Northwest University - College of Adult and Professional Studies

$13,658 Average Tuition & Fees

City University of Seattle landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general education programs. Located in the city of Seattle, CityU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CityU are $13,658 a year. While working on their degree, education majors at CityU accumulate an average of around $23,437 in student debt.

Full General Education at City University of Seattle Report

Best Value General Education Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value General Education Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
California 7,063
Oregon 767
Nevada 36
Hawaii 64
Alaska 26

One of 14 majors within the area of study, general education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 110,226
Educational Administration 46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific 43,297
Special Education 36,792
Curriculum & Instruction 19,832

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 15 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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