13 WA Colleges Among Top 500 In U.S.: Forbes

SEATTLE — The University of Washington's Seattle campus claimed a coveted spot on Forbes' rankings of the top colleges in the United States, adding to a strong showing this year for UW in academic recognition. Just last month, the university was named one of the top 20 schools in the world by an influential international firm.

This week Forbes unveiled its top 500 schools in the nation, and UW was the only Washington college to make the top 50. A dozen other institutions of higher learning in the Evergreen State made the full list, including the two other UW campuses.

The publication’s 14th annual list of America’s Top Colleges highlights colleges and universities that offer “top academics and career success while minimizing debt for students across America,” according to a statement accompanying the release.

“We know that a college degree is a significant investment for any student, and one that’s been compounded by recent years of financial turmoil for many,” Emma Whitford, senior education reporter at Forbes, said in a release. “This list reflects the public and private universities that are going above and beyond to deliver on that investment.”

Related: Biden's Student Loan Relief Plan: What WA Borrowers Should Know

The University of Washington came in at No. 33 on this year’s list. On average, students who attend SCHOOL NAME receive about $15,450 in grant aid and graduate with approximately $5,776 in debt. Graduates also have a median 10-year salary of $126,800.

Other Washington schools on this year’s list include:

• University of Washington, Bothell. Ranked No. 153.
• Washington State University, Pullman. Ranked No. 191.
• University of Washington, Tacoma. Ranked No. 193.
• Whitman College, Walla Walla. Ranked No. 199.
• Gonzaga University, Spokane. Ranked No. 218.

To choose this year’s top schools, Forbes focused on factors including whether students graduated on time, secured high salaries after graduation, and if students went on to have successful careers. Forbes also looked at how much debt students had post-graduation.

Data used to determine the ranking came from two federal government databases. Forbes also used data from its own publications as well as the Seattle-based software and data company PayScale, Washington, D.C.-based public policy think tank Third Way, and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.

Schools with less than 300 undergraduate students were excluded. The five federal military academies in the United States were ranked in a separate list.

Read more about the 2022 Top Colleges methodology.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the top spot on this year’s list followed by the University of California - Berkeley and Stanford University, which tied for No. 2. Meanwhile, Harvard University dropped several spots to No. 15 this year after holding the No. 1 spot from 2017 to 2019.

See the full list of Forbes 2022 Top Colleges.