On this page
Key Takeaways
Best computer programming degree programs: U of Washington-Seattle, Seattle, U of Washington-Bothell
Ranked by graduation rates, program outcomes, and institutional quality
Tuition ranges from $3,195 to $59,340/year
Green River College offers the most affordable option at $4,074/yr
Computer Programming degree programs available: 24 associate's, 8 master's, 1 doctoral in Washington
From community college pathways to advanced research degrees
3 online computer programming degree programs in Washington
Flexible scheduling for working professionals
Washington community college transfer can save 40-60% on total degree costs
24 associate's programs provide transfer pathways to bachelor's degrees
Education Commission of the States
Major employers: Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Expedia
Tech hubs in Seattle and Bellevue
Hakia Research 2026
Computer Programming degree programs near 43+ cities across Washington
Search by city to find programs within 200 miles of your location
Updated July 13, 2026
How we ranked Washington Computer Programming programs
We rank 51 accredited computer programming programs in Washington using IPEDS 2024 institutional data, BLS OEWS 2024 state salary data, and College Scorecard outcomes. A 4-factor weighted composite is normalized to a 0–100 score. Schools cannot pay for placement; rankings are produced algorithmically.
Are Computer Programming Degree Programs in Washington Worth It?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Computer Programming Degree Rankings in Washington
Compare the top-ranked Computer Programming programs in Washington by degree level. Tuition, graduation rate, and Hakia Score for every accredited program.
Best Associate's Computer Programming Programs in Washington
Program Landscape
Washington offers 24 accredited associate's degree programs in computer programming, providing an affordable entry point into the technology field. The top-ranked programs include Green River College, Lake Washington Institute..., Tacoma Community College, which combine rigorous technical curriculum with practical skills training.
Costs & Value
Community colleges in Washington offer these two-year programs at an average cost of $4,310/yr, significantly less than four-year university tuition. Students completing associate's degrees can pursue entry-level technical positions and transfer opportunities, with entry-level salaries averaging $79,877 in Washington.
Career Pathways
Many programs feature guaranteed transfer agreements with Washington's public universities, allowing students to complete their first two years at reduced cost before transferring to complete a bachelor's degree. The Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond areas offer particularly strong job markets for associate's degree holders, with employers like Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing hiring for technical support, junior development, and IT specialist positions.
Curriculum & Specializations
Programs typically include coursework in programming fundamentals, database management, networking basics, and software development. Among computer programming schools in Washington, these associate's programs offer the best value for students beginning their computer programming degrees in Washington.
Show all 14 ranked programs
| Rank | School | Location | Type | Tuition | Grad Rate | Hakia Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 | Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland, WA | Public | $3,291 | 37% | 74.0 |
| #7 | Centralia College | Centralia, WA | Public | $4,772 | 42% | 72.3 |
| #8 | Highline College | Des Moines, WA | Public | $3,742 | 35% | 70.4 |
| #9 | Whatcom Community College | Bellingham, WA | Public | $3,742 | 36% | 70.0 |
| #10 | Columbia Basin College | Pasco, WA | Public | $5,875 | 33% | 68.0 |
| #11 | Seattle Central College | Seattle, WA | Public | $4,488 | 32% | 67.9 |
| #12 | North Seattle College | Seattle, WA | Public | $4,488 | 33% | 67.1 |
| #13 | Olympic College | Bremerton, WA | Public | $4,197 | 31% | 66.0 |
| #14 | Cascadia College | Bothell, WA | Public | $4,772 | 32% | 64.1 |
Best Bachelor's Computer Programming Programs in Washington
Program Landscape
Washington ranks among the nation's top destinations for computer programming education, with 18 accredited bachelor's degree programs across 9 public and 9 private institutions. The highest-ranked programs are U of Washington-Seattle, Seattle, U of Washington-Bothell, recognized for academic excellence, research opportunities, and strong industry connections.
Career Outcomes
Graduates from Washington computer programming programs earn a median salary of $123,446, 26% above the national average. The state's robust technology sector, anchored by the Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond metropolitan areas, provides abundant internship and employment opportunities with companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing.
Costs & Value
Tuition ranges from $3,195 to $59,340 annually, with an average of $25,502/yr. Top programs maintain graduation rates above 82%, with the highest reaching 100%. Many programs hold ABET accreditation, the gold standard for computing education, ensuring curriculum meets rigorous industry standards.
Curriculum & Specializations
Students can choose from specializations including software engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data science, and systems architecture. Strong industry partnerships provide access to co-op programs, capstone projects with real companies, and direct recruiting pipelines to Washington's leading technology employers. For students seeking computer programming degrees in Washington, these top-ranked computer programming schools offer the strongest combination of academic rigor and career preparation.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Computer Programming Degree Costs & Tuition in Washington
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average in-state tuition | $14,553/year |
| Average out-of-state tuition | $36,383/year |
| Community college tuition | $3,638/year |
| 4-year savings for residents | $87,320 |
| 2+2 transfer pathway savings | $21,830 |
Source: IPEDS 2024
Financial Aid & Scholarships for Computer Programming Students in Washington
State Aid Programs
Washington provides financial aid through state programs, federal assistance, and employer tuition benefits that can substantially reduce computer programming education costs. The Washington College Grant covers up to 100% of tuition at public institutions for students from families earning up to median income levels, making university programming education accessible regardless of financial circumstances.
Key Programs & Amounts
Students at private institutions receive partial coverage scaled to need and institutional cost. Community college programming education at approximately $4,000 per year qualifies for federal Pell Grants (up to $7,395 annually) and Washington College Grant, enabling students to complete foundational coursework at minimal out-of-pocket cost.
Institutional Scholarships
Bellevue College's four-year CS degree at $4,074 per year represents exceptional value for a complete bachelor's program (Bellevue Cost). Many Washington tech employers including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Boeing offer generous tuition reimbursement programs, particularly valuable for employees pursuing programming credentials while working.
Graduate assistantships at UW and WSU provide tuition waivers plus stipends of $20,000 to $30,000 annually. Coding bootcamps offer varied financing including income share agreements. Nucamp's programs start at just $458, while Flatiron School has awarded over $10 million in scholarships (Bootcamp Aid).
Ada Developers Academy provides tuition-free programming education specifically for women and gender-diverse individuals.
Computer Programming Degree ROI Calculator, Washington
Use our interactive ROI calculator to estimate your return on investment for a computer programming degree in Washington. Enter your expected tuition costs, financial aid, and career goals to see projected payback periods and lifetime earnings. The calculator uses current salary data from BLS and tuition data from IPEDS to provide accurate estimates.
Computer Programming Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your return on investment for a computer programming degree
Leave blank to use average cost for selected program type
+1168%
Net gain divided by total investment. ROI above 200% is considered excellent for education investments.
$2,161,658
Your additional lifetime earnings with this degree vs. working without one, minus the total investment.
5 years
Years until your cumulative earnings exceed total investment. Shorter programs often break even faster due to lower opportunity cost.
$110,000
Your starting salary adjusted for local cost of living. This shows real purchasing power compared to a $100K national baseline.
Why does break-even change with program type? Your "total investment" includes both tuition AND opportunity cost (foregone earnings while in school). A 4-year full-time public university (in-state) means 4 years of not earning a salary ($140,000 in opportunity cost). Shorter full-time programs may have higher tuition but lower total investment because you return to the workforce sooner.
Detailed Breakdown
How we calculate your degree ROI using real salary data
Tuition plus opportunity cost (earnings you miss while in school)
Direct cost of the degree program
4 years × $35K/year foregone salary while studying full-time
Projected career earnings starting after graduation, with salary growth
What you'd earn working at $35K/year with 2% annual growth
Median salary for this role in your selected location (BLS 2024)
Your investment's compound annual growth rate (similar to stock market returns)
Data sources: BLS OEWS May 2024, IPEDS 2024. Calculations use median salaries, 3% discount rate, and assume salary growth declines from 6% to 2% over career. Individual results will vary. | Powered by Hakia.com
Computer Programming Salaries by Metro Area
Median annual salary in Washington metro areas
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Seattle | $160K |
| Bellevue | $152K |
| Redmond | $145K |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Hakia.com
Top Employers Hiring Computer Programming Graduates in Washington
Find computer programming jobs in Washington. These major employers across Washington metro areas are actively hiring computer programming degree holders. Click employer names to view current job openings.
Computer Programming Jobs in Seattle
WASeattle is home to Amazon and Microsoft headquarters, plus major engineering offices for Google, Meta, and other tech giants.
Nearby cities: Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Tacoma, Renton
Computer Programming Jobs in Bellevue/Eastside
WAThe Eastside corridor houses Microsoft's main campus in Redmond, Nintendo of America, and T-Mobile's headquarters.
Nearby cities: Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Sammamish
Washington Tech Industry & Infrastructure
Washington's tech economy is essentially defined by Microsoft and Amazon. The Seattle metro hosts the headquarters of both, plus major engineering offices for Google, Meta, Apple, and a dense second-tier of cloud, AI, and enterprise tech employers. With no state income tax and University of Washington's CS program at the top of the western US, Washington consistently posts the highest tech-job concentration per capita of any US state.
Seattle / Bellevue / Redmond
Seattle metropolitan area
Headquarters of Microsoft (Redmond) and Amazon (Seattle); major engineering offices for Google, Meta, Apple, Tableau, Tableau, Expedia, Zillow, Costco IT. UW is the dominant CS feeder; total-comp at named employers regularly clears $200K for new bachelor's grads.
Spokane / Eastern Washington
Spokane metro
Smaller tech market focused on healthcare-IT (Providence), defense (Fairchild AFB-adjacent), and growing remote-work tech employment. Whitworth and WSU-Spokane feed the local market.
No state income tax. Washington levies a Business and Occupation tax on gross receipts that tech employers factor into compensation structures.
Washington Regulation Affecting Computer Programming Graduates
Washington has emerged as one of the more active state legislatures on AI, biometric privacy, and consumer health data. The 2024 My Health My Data Act in particular is among the strictest US consumer health-data laws and shapes engineering practice at any company touching health-adjacent data.
Washington My Health My Data Act (MHMD)
Effective March 2024. Imposes strict requirements on collection, use, and sharing of consumer health data — broadly defined to include data inferring health status. Provides a private right of action.
Engineers at any company processing wellness, fitness, mental-health, or biometric data of WA users must implement consent, geofencing, and data-sharing restrictions. The law's broad scope of 'health data' makes it relevant for surprising amounts of consumer-tech work.
Read moreWashington Biometric Identifiers Act
Requires notice and consent before enrolling biometric identifiers in a database for commercial purposes.
Similar in shape to Illinois BIPA though narrower; engineers building biometric features for WA users must implement consent flows.
Read moreWashington AI legislation (HB 1394 et al.)
Washington has passed and continues to develop AI-specific legislation around government use, deepfake elections content, and consumer disclosure.
AI/ML engineers building products serving WA users should monitor evolving disclosure and bias-audit requirements.
Read moreProfessional Engineer Licensure in Washington
Washington does not currently administer a separate Software Engineering PE license. Standard engineering disciplines require ABET-EAC accreditation for PE eligibility; software engineering is not a Washington-recognized PE discipline.
Washington licensing boardWashington Financial Aid Programs
Washington College Grant (WA Grant)
State grantUp to $11,840/yr at public 4-year, up to $4,180/yr at community college
WA residents with family income up to ~70% of state median income (~$70,000)
College Bound Scholarship
State scholarship (early commitment)Covers tuition and fees at participating WA institutions
WA students who sign up in 7th-8th grade with family income at or below 65% state median income; must maintain 2.0+ GPA and stay crime-free
Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA)
Application portalN/A — application channel
WA students ineligible for federal FAFSA (e.g., undocumented) — opens access to state aid programs
Opportunity Scholarship (STEM-specific)
STEM merit-need scholarshipUp to $22,500 total (across 5 years)
WA students pursuing STEM or healthcare bachelor's at participating WA institutions with family income at or below 125% state median
Transfer Pathways for Computer Programming Degrees in Washington
State Transfer System
Washington's community and technical college system provides structured transfer pathways to university computer programming degrees through Direct Transfer Agreements (DTA) and articulated programs. Students completing Associate degrees can transfer to four-year institutions with junior standing and general education requirements satisfied.
How Transfers Work
The Washington Student Achievement Council coordinates statewide policies ensuring smooth transitions between institutions. Bellevue College offers both transfer preparation and a complete Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Washington's first community college four-year CS degree, eliminating transfer requirements for students who complete the full program locally (Bellevue Transfer).
Transfer Planning Tips
Community colleges including Green River, Highline, and Tacoma provide computer science transfer tracks preparing students for UW, WSU, and other university programs at tuition rates under $5,000 per year. Transfer students targeting competitive programs like UW's Paul G. Allen School should complete calculus sequences, discrete mathematics, and introductory programming courses with strong grades.
WSU accepts transfers into ABET-accredited programs with prerequisite completion and competitive GPA. Western Washington University's master's program uniquely accepts students regardless of undergraduate major, providing a graduate-level pathway for career changers lacking traditional CS undergraduate preparation (WWU Transfer).
Academic advisors at community colleges and universities can create customized transfer plans optimizing credit application and admission competitiveness.
Washington Take-Home Pay Advantage
Source: Washington Department of Revenue
Computer Programming Job Market & Salary Data in Washington
Employment Outlook
Washington's computer programming job market represents one of the strongest nationally, with major tech employers maintaining strong hiring for software development roles across experience levels. The tech workforce exceeds 345,000 professionals with median salaries reaching $148,000, the highest concentration outside the Bay Area.
Salaries by Metro
Seattle ranks second nationally for tech economic impact as a percent of local economy at 30% (CompTIA Tech Impact). Entry-level programming positions start at $101,661, with master's degrees boosting earning potential by 15-25%. Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, Apple, and NVIDIA maintain substantial Seattle-area operations, creating continuous demand for programming talent across specializations.
High-Growth Sectors
Boeing applies software development to aerospace systems, diversifying opportunities beyond pure technology sector. The startup ecosystem provides early-stage opportunities with equity upside potential, particularly in machine learning infrastructure, cloud computing tools, and enterprise software. Coding bootcamp graduates report starting salaries ranging from $85,000 to $125,000, demonstrating strong market demand for practical programming skills even without traditional degrees (Coding Bootcamp Outcomes).
Job placement rates at top Seattle bootcamps reach 92%, with graduates seeing salary increases averaging 34%. The diversity of employers ensures career options across programming languages and application areas including web development, mobile applications, cloud services, data engineering, and systems programming.
Entry-Level (0-2 yrs)
New graduates and career changers
Senior (8+ yrs)
Technical leads and architects
Online vs On-Campus Computer Programming Programs in Washington
Online Programs
3 available in Washington
On-Campus Programs
Traditional classroom experience
Compare Computer Programming Programs in Other States
- Total Programs
- 17
- Median Tuition
- $8,700
- Total Programs
- 12
- Median Tuition
- $6,000
- Total Programs
- 193
- Median Tuition
- $5,700
- Total Programs
- 75
- Median Tuition
- $6,800
- Total Programs
- 111
- Median Tuition
- $7,100
- Total Programs
- 67
- Median Tuition
- $43,700
- Total Programs
- 25
- Median Tuition
- $10,100
- Total Programs
- 18
- Median Tuition
- $13,900
Computer Programming Degree Programs in Washington: FAQ
What are the best computer programming degree programs in Washington?
How much do computer programming degree programs cost in Washington?
What salary can computer programming degree graduates earn in Washington?
Are there online computer programming degree programs in Washington?
What companies hire computer programming degree graduates in Washington?
Is a computer programming degree program worth it in Washington?
How long do computer programming degree programs take in Washington?
What financial aid is available for computer programming degree students in Washington?
Data Sources
Institutional characteristics, completions, graduation rates
Washington salary and employment data
Program details and admissions information
Last Updated: June 26, 2026. Rankings based on IPEDS 2024 data. Salary data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
Taylor Rupe
Co-founder & Editor (B.S. Computer Science, Oregon State • B.A. Psychology, University of Washington)
Taylor combines technical expertise in computer science with a deep understanding of human behavior and learning. His dual background drives Hakia's mission: leveraging technology to build authoritative educational resources that help people make better decisions about their academic and career paths.