Seattle Culture
University of Washington Receives An A+ For Value
Newly minted grads earn significantly more than their peers across the state
By Rob Smith July 8, 2024
The University of Washington just keeps winning accolades.
SmartAsset identifies UW’s three campuses – in Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma – as the three best value colleges, respectively, in the state. The financial technology company examined schools across five categories: tuition, student living costs, retention rate, scholarship and grant offerings, and starting salary for new graduates.
Walla Walla University and Washington State University rounded out the top five. SmartAsset also ranked UW-Seattle No. 24 for value in the United States.
The median starting salary for UW-Seattle grads is $67,400, almost $10,000 higher than the statewide average. At 93%, the student retention rate is 19 percentage points higher than the statewide average, though student living costs are the second highest, behind only Gonzaga University in Spokane, which has a 92% retention rate. Saint Martin’s University in Lacey has the highest tuition, $44,080 annually.
U.S. News & World Report recently ranked UW as the seventh-best university in the world, and fifth best in the U.S.
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