Whether your long-term goal is to earn a bachelor's degree from a university or to learn a new skill and go to work, you can save money at a community or technical college.
Tuition Comparison
Based on the 2012-13 academic year (fall, winter, spring quarter attendance), here are estimated tuition rates for full-time undergraduate Washington resident students. Room, board, transportation and other fees vary per student.
tuition comparison
| Educational Institution |
Cost |
| Room, board, transportation and other living expenses will vary per student. |
| Community & technical colleges, public |
$ 4,000 |
| Eastern Washington University |
$ 7,372 |
| Western Washington University |
$ 7,503 |
| The Evergreen State College |
$ 7,812 |
| Central Washington University |
$ 7,941 |
| UW Seattle, UW Bothell, UW Tacoma |
$11,307 |
| WSU Pullman |
$11,386 |
| Private vocational, career schools (approximate) |
$30,000 |
| Private four-year colleges and universities (approximate) |
$40,000 |
Professional-Technical Degrees
When you attend a community or technical college for workforce training — instead
of a private vocational school — you can save thousands in tuition dollars and avoid
large student loans.
And best of all, if you decide to transfer to a different community or technical college, your credits
are transferable within the state community and technical college system.
Private vocational colleges cost more and, with some exceptions, their credits are not usually
accepted at the community and technical colleges.
Tuition savings example
Cost estimate includes only tuition (no fees, books, housing or transportation) at today’s rates.
- Associate of Applied Science in Network Services and Computing Systems from Bellevue College costs about $6,357. (Two years, 91 credits, $70 per average credit)
- Applied degree in Information Technology/Computer Network Systems from ITT Technical Institute costs about $41,568. (Two years, 96 credits, $433 per credit unit)
Bachelor's Degree
If you plan to earn a bachelor’s degree, you can save money by earning a transfer degree — such as an associate in arts (AA) or associate in science (AS) — first.
Tuition savings example
Cost estimate scenarios include only tuition (no fees, books, housing or transportation) at today’s rates.
- A 90-credit transfer degree from a community college for $6,270, plus two years at a regional university for $15,378 for a total of $21,648.
- Four years tuition at a regional university costs $30,756.