Washington
Student Access & Success
Washington’s four-year institutions receive a very high grade in this area, ranking first in the country in credentials per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates and second in completion rate. The state’s two-year institutions also receive a good grade, scoring in the top 20 states in credentials per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates, completion rate, and the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Washington receives average grades in this area, with both a four-year cost per completion ($71,727) and state and local funding per completion ($34,447) and a two-year cost per completion ($49,398) and state and local funding per completion ($33,397) in the middle third of all states.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Washington bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $23,400 (or 66%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 4 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is about $9,100 (or 26%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 2 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Washington’s consumer information source, Career Bridge, displays both graduation rates and employment figures, by program and school. The state does not measure student learning outcomes, contributing to its overall average marks.
Policy Environment
Overall, Washington gets a low mark for its policy environment. Washington’s Moving the Blue Arrow strategic plan includes goals for degree completion, though not for student outcomes or system efficiency. While the state does not have outcomes-based funding for four-year institutions, it does have a bonus fund for two-year institutions based on outcomes like first-year retention and overall completions. An associate’s degree does transfer in full to a four-year institution, but individual course transfer is dependent on the availability of a “parallel course” at the receiving institution.
Innovation
Washington Online serves as a central clearinghouse for online course and degree offerings at the state’s two- year institutions, but there is nothing comparable at the four-year level. Regarding new providers, Washington has low licensure fees but a burdensome approval process, resulting in a low grade.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
WA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | A |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 33.7 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 84.2 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 68.7 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 24.9 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 5 | |
| Complete College America |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $71,727 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $34,447 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $63,928 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $23,426 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 165.9 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $15,354 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 150.5 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.9 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 5.6 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.1 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | C |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
WA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 59.0 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 59.2 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 26.3 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 18.2 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $49,398 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $33,397 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $44,493 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | D |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $9,148 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 125.7 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $5,616 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 118.5 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 2.2 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 3.7 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.54 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | C |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
WA Nat'l| Policy Environment | D |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | D |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 63% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 50% | |
| Financial Burden | 80% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 60% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | D |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 35.7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 2.5 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 8
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 34
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 91152
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 163001