2025 Washington Colleges Graduation Rate Comparison
For the academic year 2023-2024, the average graduation rate at Washington colleges is 54.2%. The graduation rate is calculated by number of completers by dividing number of candidates. The completers have completed their degree/certificate within 150% of normal time, for example within 6 years for 4-years BS degree program. The average transfer-out rate is 16.6% and the average retention rate is 76.4% (full-time students).
Washington College Graduation, Transfer-out, Retention Rate Statistics
The next list shows the colleges with the highest and lowest graduation rate and more relative statistics. For that, we include only 4-year colleges and having more than 500 enrolled students.
- Gonzaga University has the highest graduation rate of 86% and City University of Seattle has the lowest graduation rate of 17% and .
- Saint Martin's University has the highest transfer-out rate of 30% and Walla Walla University has the lowest transfer-out rate of 1% and .
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus has the highest retention rate of 95% and Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education has the lowest retention rate of 50% and .
Graduation Rate Comparison Between Washington Colleges
The following table lists Washington colleges with graduation, transfer-out, and retention rate. The graduation rate is based on the number of completers who completed their program within 150% normal time (i.e. within 6 years for 4 years B.S. degrees).
You can sort the table by column by clicking/touching column titles and narrow down the college list by using the buttons below.
| College Name | Graduation Rate | Transfer-out Rate | Retention Rate (full-time) | Retention Rate (part-time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue College Bellevue, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 36% | 24% | - | - |
| Bellingham Technical College Bellingham, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 42% | 17% | - | - |
| Big Bend Community College Moses Lake, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 42% | 12% | - | - |
| Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 54% | - | 70% | 52 |
| Centralia College Centralia, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 42% | 12% | - | - |
| City University of Seattle Seattle, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 17% | - | - | 12 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Richland Richland, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 74% | - | 86% | - |
| Clark College Vancouver, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 39% | 12% | - | - |
| Clover Park Technical College Lakewood, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 43% | 10% | - | - |
| Columbia Basin College Pasco, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 33% | 12% | - | - |
| Cornish College of the Arts Seattle, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 56% | 23% | 69% | - |
| Divers Institute of Technology Seattle, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 91% | - | 78% | - |
| Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 43% | - | 67% | 38 |
| Edmonds College Lynnwood, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 29% | 21% | - | - |
| Everett Community College Everett, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 37% | 16% | - | - |
| The Evergreen State College Olympia, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 41% | - | 70% | 44 |
| Pierce College District Lakewood, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 31% | 20% | - | - |
| Glen Dow Academy of Hair Design Spokane, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 67% | - | 87% | - |
| Gonzaga University Spokane, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 86% | 8% | 93% | - |
| Grays Harbor College Aberdeen, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 39% | 12% | - | - |
| Green River College Auburn, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 39% | 16% | - | - |
| Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Shoreline Shoreline, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 74% | - | 85% | - |
| Heritage University Toppenish, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 54% | 2% | 57% | 33 |
| Highline College Des Moines, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 35% | 20% | - | - |
| International Air and Hospitality Academy Vancouver, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 72% | - | 63% | - |
| Bates Technical College Tacoma, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 43% | 8% | - | - |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 37% | 15% | - | - |
| Lower Columbia College Longview, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 23% | 8% | - | - |
| BJ's Beauty & Barber College Tacoma, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 71% | - | 100% | - |
| North Seattle College Seattle, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 33% | 29% | - | - |
| Northwest University Kirkland, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 71% | - | 84% | - |
| Olympic College Bremerton, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 31% | 20% | - | - |
| Perry Technical Institute Yakima, WA Private, 2-4 years | 79% | - | 84% | - |
| Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 69% | 24% | 82% | 100 |
| Peninsula College Port Angeles, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 37% | 16% | - | - |
| University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 68% | 15% | 84% | - |
| Renton Technical College Renton, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 46% | 12% | - | - |
| Saint Martin's University Lacey, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 52% | 30% | 65% | - |
| South Seattle College Seattle, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 31% | 15% | - | - |
| Seattle Central College Seattle, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 32% | 24% | - | - |
| Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 62% | 25% | 72% | 100 |
| Seattle University Seattle, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 76% | - | 84% | 50 |
| Shoreline College Shoreline, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 29% | 15% | - | - |
| Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 36% | 12% | - | - |
| South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 44% | 16% | - | - |
| Spokane Community College Spokane, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 33% | 12% | - | - |
| Spokane Falls Community College Spokane, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 32% | 21% | - | - |
| Stylemaster College of Hair Design Longview, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 23% | - | 67% | - |
| Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 32% | 20% | - | - |
| Walla Walla Community College Walla Walla, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 38% | 13% | - | - |
| Walla Walla University College Place, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 60% | 1% | 85% | - |
| Washington State University Pullman, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 60% | - | 78% | 40 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 85% | - | 95% | 87 |
| Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 43% | 8% | - | - |
| Western Washington University Bellingham, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 65% | - | 79% | 49 |
| Whatcom Community College Bellingham, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 36% | 16% | - | - |
| Whitman College Walla Walla, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 81% | 12% | 87% | - |
| Whitworth University Spokane, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 71% | 21% | 78% | - |
| Yakima Valley College Yakima, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 29% | 17% | - | - |
| Pima Medical Institute-Seattle Seattle, WA Private, 2-4 years | 68% | 1% | 91% | - |
| Northwest College of Art & Design Tacoma, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 58% | - | 77% | - |
| University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 65% | - | 86% | 73 |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 63% | - | 80% | 64 |
| Northwest Indian College Bellingham, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 18% | 14% | 55% | 14 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Federal Way Federal Way, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 6% | - | 83% | - |
| Northwest HVAC/R Training Center Spokane, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 91% | - | 91% | - |
| Carrington College-Spokane Spokane, WA Private, 2-4 years | 42% | - | 55% | - |
| Cascadia College Bothell, WA Public, 4 years four-years | 32% | 27% | - | - |
| Faith International University Tacoma, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 25% | 25% | 67% | 45 |
| DigiPen Institute of Technology Redmond, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 61% | - | 76% | 100 |
| Evergreen Beauty and Barber College-Everett Everett, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 83% | - | 89% | - |
| Pima Medical Institute-Renton Renton, WA Private, 2-4 years | 69% | - | 79% | - |
| Victoria's Academy of Cosmetology Kennewick, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 96% | - | 88% | - |
| Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Seattle Seattle, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 67% | - | 75% | - |
| Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building Port Hadlock, WA Private, 2-4 years | 90% | - | 86% | - |
| Summit Salon Academy Tacoma, WA Private, 2-4 years | 59% | - | 10% | - |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Spokane Spokane Valley, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 54% | - | 94% | - |
| Academy of Interactive Entertainment Seattle, WA Private, 2-4 years | 84% | - | 62% | - |
| Studio Beauty School Spokane Valley, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 82% | - | 86% | - |
| Aveda Institute Portland-Vancouver Campus Vancouver, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 89% | - | 100% | 83 |
| Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education Kirkland, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 50% | - | 50% | 53 |
| Fosbre Academy of Hair Design Olympia, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 77% | - | 87% | - |
| International Beauty Education Center Spokane, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 81% | - | 93% | - |
| Seattle Film Institute Seattle, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 57% | - | 78% | - |
| Elite Cosmetology, Barber & Spa Academy Yakima, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 47% | - | 58% | - |
| Centralia Beauty College Centralia, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 82% | - | 80% | 91 |
| Pacific Northwest Christian College Kennewick, WA Private, 2-4 years | 100% | - | 44% | 33 |
| Zorganics Institute of Beauty and Wellness Bellingham, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 100% | - | 100% | - |
| Great Northern University Spokane, WA Private, 4 years four-years | 50% | 50% | 100% | - |
| UEI College-Tacoma Tacoma, WA Private, Less than 2 years | 58% | - | 71% | - |
| Average | 54% | 17% | 76% | 59 |
Most Compared Washington Colleges
The following Washington college pairs are frequently compared by users. You can compare the schools by their most important academic factors such as acceptance rate and tuition.