A Guide to Online Colleges in Washington

The Evergreen State is home to over 7 million residents, making it the thirteenth most populous state in the union. Washington is also the eighteenth largest state by area. Its square mileage is known for housing some of the Union's most famous national and geographical landmarks, including the Puget Sound, a large inlet of the Pacific Ocean carved into the Northwest corner by glaciers over aeons; the Hoh Rainforest, one of only a handful of temperate rainforests in the United States; as well as the Cascade Range, a series of mountains which are active volcanoes and include the state's tallest mountain, Mount Rainier, located just south of the capital of Seattle. In addition to all these geographical landmarks and countless outdoor opportunities, Washington's urban centers feature a great degree of cultural flavor and flare, especially in the realms of food, music, and art.

The State of Washington also plays host to the second-largest number of in-state learning opportunities on the West Coast with over 200 online degrees programs offered by 28 of its colleges and universities. Of course, one of the best parts about living in the twenty-first century is that residents from almost anywhere can choose to attend a college or university from almost anywhere, so that someone in Washington's more rural southern and eastern corners could attend an institution in the state's urban northwestern half, and vice versa—all from the privacy of their own home. So whether you're a longtime resident or a recent mover, there are a number of reasons why you might want to obtain a degree online as an in-state resident. If you're trying to figure out how to do so, this guide is for you.

One reason to obtain an online degree in your home state is that in-state tuition can often be applied to public schools that offer online programs. Many online programs require some face-to-face interaction, or they provide more numerous support services that local students can avail themselves of by living close to the brick-and-mortar institutions they attend online. Intensive study experiences—which often take place on weekends or in several weeklong bouts—enable many online students to accelerate their time-to-graduation. Students looking at online education opportunities can drastically expand their options if they also search for locally offered, hybrid online / on-site degrees (i.e., programs where classes can be taken either partially or mostly online), and which students from other locations are unable to gain advantage of. And finally, one of the most common stipulations for obtaining scholarships is that applicants be from a certain state or region, a stipulation that permits far more funds for local students seeking degrees in-state than students applying from out-of-state.

Featured Online Schools

Many of Washington's top public schools offer online programs of study from the associate's degree up to the doctorate. Among Washington's 20 public-funded colleges and universities that provide such degrees, 10 offer at least one online bachelor's degree. These include the Washington State University system, two of the University of Washington's three locations (i.e., Seattle and Tacoma), as well as Central Washington University, and Western Washington University, all of which rank either nationally or regionally among U.S. News' Best Colleges and Universities. For those looking to obtain an associate's degree, or save funds and transfer into four-year programs, 12 of Washington's 14 community colleges offer at least one fully online associate's degree. All of these offer transfer programs into four-year programs around the state. Although no public colleges or universities offer doctoral programs in 2016, the University of Washington at Seattle leads the pack for number of online master's degrees offered by public colleges and universities with 14, followed closely by Washington State University with 12, and Central Washington University with 7.

A good number of online degrees are available through private colleges and universities in Washington. Seven private colleges and universities offer online degree programs across the state and range from the associate's to the doctorate. In terms of that range, City University of Seattle leads the pack, offering at least one bachelor's, master's, and a doctoral program online, including 12 bachelor's programs, 7 master's programs, and 1 doctorate. Gonzaga University offers online programs purely at the graduate level, with 11 master's programs and 5 doctoral programs. Gonzaga University is also the most prestigious private university in the state to offer online degree programs, and it is the number four ranked regional university in 2016, according to U.S. News.

For a variety of reasons, online learners may move to the state that hosts their online degree program, whether specifically required by the program or not—be it for a job, love of the area, or for scholarship benefits, etc. Different states have different policies on what defines a resident, and some of them can be rather demanding. Washington can be one of these. To declare residency in the state for tuition purposes, an incoming student must reside continually in a Washington domicile for at least 12 months prior to attending the university. That student's presence in the state must also not be primarily for educational purposes. This means that an online learner who moves to Washington expressly to receive in-state tuition will not earn that perk by simply renting an apartment on the border. However, if a student were to relocate (or already be relocated) to the state for job or career purposes, family ties, or personal needs such as those involved with healthcare and has paid taxes at least once to the state government, they are much more likely to be considered a resident in the eyes of a public university. Military personnel on active duty in the state and their direct family members residing in a Washington domicile are also granted in-state tuition without needing to have lived there 12 months prior.

Compared with the rest of the nation, Washington is one of the least expensive states in terms of its cost of higher education. For 2015-2016, the state's average annual tuition for a full-time undergraduate student was $12,340, which is $1,246 lower than the national average. During that year, Whitman College was the most expensive institution to attend at $45,770 per year, while the University of Washington — Seattle Campus was the most popularly attended university at $10,768 per year. These costs are less than the national average for cost of attendance at both public and private colleges and universities. Additionally, in a state where part-time and online options abound, online students will not pay sticker prices near this high, especially those who can find public colleges or universities that afford in-state rates or offer special scholarships for continuing education. Central Washington University for example, a 52nd ranked regional university, came in well-under the state average tuition at $6,897, which is largely representative of other public offerings in the state.

Five Seattle-based colleges and universities offer online degrees. Some of the city's most popular online offerings include include the University of Washington's Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Social Sciences and Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood & Family Studies, as well as that institution's Master in Geographic Information Systems. Other notable universities in Seattle consistently recognized for top-ranked online programs are the City University of Seattle, whose online Doctor of Education in Leadership program is singular, as well as Seattle Pacific University, whose Master of Arts in Teaching and Residency Teacher Certification is quite popular. Seattle also hosts two community college campuses (i.e., Seattle Community Colleges North and Central) that offer Associate's of Arts degrees fully online. Students stationed in the neighboring city of Bellevue are within commuter distance to all Seattle schools, as well as Northwest University, which is located north of their own city limits and offers degree programs from the Associate's to the Master's.

Four colleges and universities offer online degrees in the Spokane metro area. Notable offerings include Whitworth University's Master of Education and Master of Arts in Teaching for the Gifted and Talented, both of which are offered through its fully online Adult Degree Programs. Perhaps most notably, Gonzaga University offers five Post-Baccalaureates for a Doctor of Nursing Practice with various focuses, including Geriatric, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric, all completely online. And the similarly named but separate Spokane Falls Community College and Spokane Community College each offer 15 online Associate's of Applied Science, most of which provide focuses in Business, Education, or the Health Professions.

Three colleges and universities offer online degrees in Tacoma. The University of Washington — Tacoma Campus notably offers a unique Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice; Tacoma Community College offers an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Reimbursement; and Bates Technical College offers three Associates: one in Business, one in Arts and Sciences, and one in General Studies, all of which are directly transferable to traditional four-year institutions. Since all of these are institutions are public, they offer in-state tuition for Washington residents.

The Best Online Colleges in Washington

Monitoring the accreditation of a university you are interested in attending is incredibly important. Accreditation ensures your credits can transfer that you can receive Federal financial aid, and most importantly that certain standards of educational quality are during your schooling. The highest accreditation standard for most programs in the United States is provided by regional accreditation agencies. The regional accrediting agency for California is the Northwest Commission on College and Universities, one of six regional accrediting agencies responsible for accrediting schools in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

Making sure that a University you're hoping to attend is regionally accredited — or accredited by a real and respected accrediting agency — is one of the most important choices you can make in ensuring the quality of your education.

Three Steps for Securing Financial Aid

• Submit your FAFSA.

• Check to see if additional forms are needed at your university of choice.

• Search and apply for private scholarships.

Through the previous three steps most students find themselves offered some sort of federal grant, work study, private grant, scholarship, or stipend.

Great Washington Higher Education Resources

• The Independent Colleges of Washington (ICW) generates over $2.5 billion for the local economy in the form of the student scholarships and teacher salaries its endowment can afford. It also supports an excellent graduation rate with over 9,400 students per year, which accounts for approximately 20% of all college graduates in the state of Washington. This bodes well for all students who earn one of their scholarships. Here's a comprehensive list of the organization's member colleges and universities.

• Washington's 529 college savings plan is available through its Guaranteed Education Tuition website, along with information about several other savings plans for college tuition. The 529 plan, if adopted early and contributed to yearly, allows parents, grandparents, and guardians to earn tax benefits for making contributions to their student's future right from the get-go.

• The state government's GEAR UP program is in charge of overseeing a wide range of grants and initiatives for increasing preparedness and accessibility to Washington colleges and universities. Check out their site for some of these opportunities.

• WashBoard.org is a free service that connects Washington students to state-specific scholarships both in and outside of Washington. Great for those who are relocating.

• Washington Student Acheivement Council (WSAC) is the site to visit for any and all information pertaining to public higher education in the state.

• For students who want to finish a degree or start an entirely new one at one of Penn State's locations, PA Universities Online is an excellent resource that demonstrates the accessibility that comes from there being a college or university that offers an online education in every corner of the state.

• Washington Community and Technical Colleges maintains 34 institutions, 14 of which offer online degrees. See their site for more general information on locations, credit-granting mechanisms and policies, as well as funding and workforce development.

• The Washington Department of Education provides some general resources for students interested in learning more about existing initiatives for college and career support, as well as about how public secondary education in Washington is governed.

• Washington's Department of Veterans Affairs provides useful information on Education and Training Benefits for prospective students and family of students who have served in the military.

• Washington Education Association offers news and information pertaining to the ever-changing state of education in the state of Washington.

• The Washington Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) provides abundant resources for students looking for assistance with career and technical education both in and around the state.

• The University of Washington furnishes a list of 4 steps for establishing residency in Washington state.

• Access Washington furnishes new residents with an accessible and consolidated list of options for how to go about becoming an official resident of the Evergreen State.

Recommended Reading

Ranking

Best Online Ph.D. Programs

January 12, 2024

Ranking

Best Online Master’s Programs of 2024

March 20, 2024

Ranking

Best Online Master’s in Human Resources

October 27, 2023