Best English Colleges in Washington2026 Rankings
With 16 English programs spread across Washington, narrowing your list takes real data. Our algorithm ranks each school on six factors — admission rate, graduation rate, net price, median graduate earnings, student-faculty ratio, and major breadth — so you can compare apples to apples before you apply.
Washington offers 5 public and 11 private English programs in this ranking. Public universities average $34,721 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — University of Washington-Seattle Campus — accepts 43% of applicants. Early-career earnings for English graduates average $30,499, with a state-wide graduation rate of 65% for ranked programs.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusPublic | Excellent· 43 | 43% | 84% | $7,817 | $31,622 | 20:1 | 137 | 31,588 |
| 2 | Gonzaga UniversityPrivate | Great· 41 | 76% | 87% | $25,096 | $41,077 | 12:1 | 45 | 5,098 |
| 3 | Whitman CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 50% | 81% | $28,426 | $25,574 | 10:1 | 42 | 1,523 |
| 4 | Pacific Lutheran UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 81% | 71% | $18,653 | $45,409 | 12:1 | 37 | 2,350 |
| 5 | Seattle UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 76% | 73% | $30,151 | $53,941 | 10:1 | 60 | 4,117 |
| 6 | Saint Martin's UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 76% | 57% | $19,090 | $45,949 | 10:1 | 28 | 1,254 |
| 7 | Whitworth UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 87% | 68% | $20,336 | $36,387 | 10:1 | 43 | 1,927 |
| 8 | Washington State UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 85% | 62% | $12,308 | $28,876 | 15:1 | 114 | 21,583 |
| 9 | Northwest UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 88% | 63% | $19,757 | $44,118 | 9:1 | 37 | 642 |
| 10 | Western Washington UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 91% | 66% | $16,177 | $32,334 | 17:1 | 76 | 13,574 |
| 11 | University of Puget SoundPrivate | Good· 32 | 76% | 68% | $33,336 | $29,291 | 10:1 | 44 | 1,631 |
| 12 | Seattle Pacific UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 91% | 62% | $23,893 | $30,737 | 10:1 | 57 | 2,073 |
| 13 | Central Washington UniversityPublic | Good· 30 | 90% | 50% | $15,182 | $43,326 | 17:1 | 104 | 8,081 |
| 14 | Heritage UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | — | 40% | $12,511 | $41,593 | 7:1 | 27 | 782 |
| 15 | Eastern Washington UniversityPublic | Average· 29 | 92% | 47% | $12,004 | $31,592 | 20:1 | 71 | 6,517 |
| 16 | Walla Walla UniversityPrivate | Fair· 24 | — | 64% | $21,728 | $54,314 | 13:1 | 41 | 1,214 |