Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Washington
Key facts
- #1 DigiPen Institute of Technology, WA: $80k
- #2 Gonzaga University, WA: $79k
- #3 University of Washington-Seattle Campus, WA: $78k
- 56 colleges ranked across Washington
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: $53k across the typical college in this list.
- 1DigiPen Institute of Technology WA$80k
- 2Gonzaga University WA$79k
- 3University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA$78k
- 4University of Washington-Bothell Campus WA$78k
- 5University of Washington-Tacoma Campus WA$78k
- 6Seattle University WA$75k
- 7University of Puget Sound WA$70k
- 8City University of Seattle WA$69k
- 9Washington State University WA$69k
- 10Whitman College WA$68k
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: DigiPen Institute of Technology leads on $80k, and #10 Whitman College is at $68k.
- DigiPen Institute of Technology reaches #1 on a sample of 995 students enrolled, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus is the largest market in the top ten, with 31,942 students enrolled behind its figure.
- Colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Median earnings ten years after enrolling show what former students of a college go on to earn, as the Department of Education publishes it.
How to use it
Compare colleges within the same level and field, and read earnings next to completion rate and net price. Earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as the college.
The top 25
- 1
DigiPen Institute of Technology WA
$80k
- Completion rate
- 61%
- Net price a year
- $44,446
- Private for-profit
- 995 students
Based on 995 students enrolled.
DigiPen Institute of Technology: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 2
Gonzaga University WA
$79k
- Completion rate
- 86%
- Net price a year
- $35,119
- Private nonprofit
- 5,198 students
Based on 5,198 students enrolled.
- 3
- Completion rate
- 85%
- Net price a year
- $14,091
- Public
- 31,942 students
Based on 31,942 students enrolled.
University of Washington-Seattle Campus: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 4
- Completion rate
- 65%
- Net price a year
- $12,319
- Public
- 5,457 students
Based on 5,457 students enrolled.
University of Washington-Bothell Campus: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 5
- Completion rate
- 63%
- Net price a year
- $10,163
- Public
- 4,185 students
Based on 4,185 students enrolled.
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 6
Seattle University WA
$75k
- Completion rate
- 76%
- Net price a year
- $34,662
- Private nonprofit
- 4,062 students
Based on 4,062 students enrolled.
- 7
University of Puget Sound WA
$70k
- Completion rate
- 68%
- Net price a year
- $38,394
- Private nonprofit
- 1,594 students
Based on 1,594 students enrolled.
University of Puget Sound: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 8
City University of Seattle WA
$69k
- Completion rate
- Not available
- Net price a year
- Not available
- Private nonprofit
- 1,137 students
Based on 1,137 students enrolled.
City University of Seattle: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 9
Washington State University WA
$69k
- Completion rate
- 61%
- Net price a year
- $14,971
- Public
- 21,099 students
Based on 21,099 students enrolled.
Washington State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 10
Whitman College WA
$68k
- Completion rate
- 81%
- Net price a year
- $33,313
- Private nonprofit
- 1,531 students
Based on 1,531 students enrolled.
- 11
Pacific Lutheran University WA
$67k
- Completion rate
- 69%
- Net price a year
- $19,589
- Private nonprofit
- 2,401 students
Based on 2,401 students enrolled.
Pacific Lutheran University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 12
Seattle Pacific University WA
$65k
- Completion rate
- 62%
- Net price a year
- $24,488
- Private nonprofit
- 1,762 students
Based on 1,762 students enrolled.
Seattle Pacific University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 13
Western Washington University WA
$63k
- Completion rate
- 65%
- Net price a year
- $21,193
- Public
- 13,544 students
Based on 13,544 students enrolled.
Western Washington University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 14
Saint Martin's University WA
$62k
- Completion rate
- 52%
- Net price a year
- $28,119
- Private nonprofit
- 1,158 students
Based on 1,158 students enrolled.
Saint Martin's University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 15
Walla Walla University WA
$62k
- Completion rate
- 60%
- Net price a year
- $23,329
- Private nonprofit
- 1,252 students
Based on 1,252 students enrolled.
- 16
Central Washington University WA
$62k
- Completion rate
- 54%
- Net price a year
- $18,476
- Public
- 7,833 students
Based on 7,833 students enrolled.
Central Washington University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 17
Whitworth University WA
$59k
- Completion rate
- 71%
- Net price a year
- $26,534
- Private nonprofit
- 1,858 students
Based on 1,858 students enrolled.
- 18
Eastern Washington University WA
$58k
- Completion rate
- 43%
- Net price a year
- $13,886
- Public
- 6,222 students
Based on 6,222 students enrolled.
Eastern Washington University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 19
Perry Technical Institute WA
$58k
- Completion rate
- 79%
- Net price a year
- $20,047
- Private nonprofit
- 1,072 students
Based on 1,072 students enrolled.
Perry Technical Institute: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 20
Bellevue College WA
$56k
- Completion rate
- 36%
- Net price a year
- $11,430
- Public
- 7,364 students
Based on 7,364 students enrolled.
- 21
Northwest University WA
$55k
- Completion rate
- 71%
- Net price a year
- $22,288
- Private nonprofit
- 645 students
Based on 645 students enrolled.
- 22
Cascadia College WA
$54k
- Completion rate
- 32%
- Net price a year
- $12,281
- Public
- 1,032 students
Based on 1,032 students enrolled.
- 23
Shoreline Community College WA
$52k
- Completion rate
- 29%
- Net price a year
- $8,585
- Public
- 3,046 students
Based on 3,046 students enrolled.
Shoreline Community College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 24
Green River College WA
$51k
- Completion rate
- 39%
- Net price a year
- $13,803
- Public
- 4,965 students
Based on 4,965 students enrolled.
- 25
- Completion rate
- 37%
- Net price a year
- $6,817
- Public
- 2,406 students
Based on 2,406 students enrolled.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
Full ranking
All 56 colleges that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
How this ranking works
Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones.
Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
Sample bar: colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (median earnings, completion, net price), as held in our college tables. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which certification ranks first: colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in washington?
- DigiPen Institute of Technology leads Washington among colleges for earnings: its former students earn a median of $80k ten years after enrolling, against $53k for the typical college in this list.
- How many colleges are ranked?
- 56 colleges have at least 500 students enrolled, so the list has 56 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones. Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Best cities for junior jobs in Washington
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Four-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Community and two-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Northeast
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in New England
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Mid-Atlantic
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Washington,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-washington
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-washington">Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Washington (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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