Most Affordable Community Colleges in Washington
Two-year colleges, ranked by what students actually pay after aid. These are usually the cheapest route to the first two years of a degree, and credits often transfer to a four-year school.
6 community colleges in Washington are listed here, 6 of them reporting a net price. They run from $6,292 a year at Bates Technical College to $12,210 at Big Bend Community College, with a middle of about $9,132.
The cheapest are Bates Technical College, Lower Columbia College and Shoreline College. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is where to start.
Community colleges in Washington, cheapest first · 6
Average net price per year after grants and scholarships, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where reported. Schools publishing no net price are listed last.
- Bates Technical College
- Lower Columbia College
- Shoreline College
- South Puget Sound Community College
- Everett Community College
- Big Bend Community College
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable community college in Washington?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Bates Technical College at about $6,292 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much do community colleges in Washington cost on average?
- Across the 6 community colleges in Washington that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $9,132 a year after aid, running from $6,292 to $12,210.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the community colleges listed here it runs from 12% to 36%, with a middle of about 22%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free