Best Computer Programmer programs in Washington, ranked by enrollment
Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals.
48 schools in Washington run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,798 people a year. The job pays a median of $125,620 in Washington across about 2,540 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Washington that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
12 programs in Washington that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Washington (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Washington page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 11.0701In Washington → | 2,044 | 73.1% | 34 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 2 | Computer Programming/Programmer, Generalmain feeder CIP 11.0201In Washington → | 311 | 11.1% | 17 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0803In Washington → | 155 | 5.5% | 6 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 4 | CIP 11.0804In Washington → | 92 | 3.3% | 2 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 5 | CIP 30.3001In Washington → | 60 | 2.1% | 1 | $50,745 | $27,000 |
| 6 | CIP 30.7103In Washington → | 38 | 1.4% | 1 | — | — |
| 7 | CIP 11.0902In Washington → | 24 | 0.9% | 2 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 8 | CIP 52.1201In Washington → | 24 | 0.9% | 2 | $59,352 | $24,618 |
| 9 | CIP 30.7101In Washington → | 19 | 0.7% | 3 | — | — |
| 10 | Computer Programming, Specific Applicationsmain feeder CIP 11.0202In Washington → | 13 | 0.5% | 1 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 11 | CIP 30.7199In Washington → | 12 | 0.4% | 1 | — | — |
| 12 | CIP 11.0203In Washington → | 6 | 0.2% | 3 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
Top 25 schools in Washington
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 13 of the 48 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 631 | Computer Science | $128,887 | 85% | — | 39% |
| 2 | University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 329 | Computer Science | $128,887 | 65% | — | 91% |
| 3 | Washington State University Pullman, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 315 | Computer Science | $79,519 | 60% | — | 87% |
| 4 | Seattle University Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 237 | Computer Science | $85,285 | 76% | $31,900 | 77% |
| 5 | Bellevue College Bellevue, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 162 | Computer Science | $73,214 | 36% | — | — |
| 6 | Green River College Auburn, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 107 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 7 | DigiPen Institute of Technology Redmond, WA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 88 | Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation | $81,885 | 61% | $39,863 | 64% |
| 8 | Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 82 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 37% | — | — |
| 9 | North Seattle College Seattle, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 65 | Computer Science | — | 33% | — | — |
| 10 | Pierce College District Lakewood, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 64 | Computer Graphics | — | 31% | — | — |
| 11 | Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 63 | Computer Science | $52,362 | 54% | — | 91% |
| 12 | Gonzaga University Spokane, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 58 | Computer Science | $76,636 | 86% | $30,006 | 82% |
| 13 | Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 51 | Computer Science | — | 32% | — | — |
| 14 | Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 45 | Computer Science | $82,557 | 62% | $24,653 | 83% |
| 15 | City University of Seattle Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 37 | Computer Science | — | — | $35,049 | — |
| 16 | Saint Martin's University Lacey, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 37 | Cloud Computing | — | 52% | $22,131 | 90% |
| 17 | Edmonds College Lynnwood, WA Public · 4 feeder programs | 35 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
| 18 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 35 | Management Information Systems, General | $61,668 | 65% | — | 93% |
| 19 | South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 44% | — | — |
| 20 | Shoreline College Shoreline, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
| 21 | Cascadia College Bothell, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 27 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 32% | — | — |
| 22 | Whitworth University Spokane, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Computer Science | $62,139 | 71% | $23,510 | 90% |
| 23 | Renton Technical College Renton, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 25 | Computer Science | — | 46% | — | — |
| 24 | Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Computer Science | — | 69% | $19,944 | 78% |
| 25 | Whitman College Walla Walla, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Computer Science | — | 81% | $28,508 | 38% |
All 48 schools in Washington
Every school in Washington with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle | Public | 631 | 1 |
| University of Washington - Bothell Campus | Bothell | Public | 329 | 2 |
| Washington State University | Pullman | Public | 315 | 3 |
| Seattle University | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 237 | 1 |
| Bellevue College | Bellevue | Public | 162 | 3 |
| Green River College | Auburn | Public | 107 | 2 |
| DigiPen Institute of Technology | Redmond | Private for-profit | 88 | 1 |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland | Public | 82 | 3 |
| North Seattle College | Seattle | Public | 65 | 3 |
| Pierce College District | Lakewood | Public | 64 | 1 |
| Central Washington University | Ellensburg | Public | 63 | 1 |
| Gonzaga University | Spokane | Private not-for-profit | 58 | 1 |
| Tacoma Community College | Tacoma | Public | 51 | 1 |
| Seattle Pacific University | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 45 | 2 |
| City University of Seattle | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 37 | 1 |
What computer programmers earn in Washington
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $100,390. Washington pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Washington employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Washington
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Computer Programmers page.
How to become a Computer Programmer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Washington
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 17 majors mapped to Computer Programmers17 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0201Computer Programming/Programmer, General
- 11.0202Computer Programming, Specific Applications
- 11.0203Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification
- 11.0204Computer Game Programming
- 11.0205Computer Programming, Specific Platforms
- 11.0299Computer Programming, Other
- 11.0701Computer Science
- 11.0803Computer Graphics
- 11.0804Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
- 11.0902Cloud Computing
- 15.1204Computer Software Technology/Technician
- 30.3001Computational Science
- 30.7101Data Analytics, General
- 30.7103Data Visualization
- 30.7199Data Analytics, Other
- 51.0709Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant
- 52.1201Management Information Systems, General
Common questions
Answers for people weighing computer programmers programs in Washington.
What degree do you need to become a Computer Programmer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer Science, which awarded 2,044 degrees in Washington in 2024-25, 73.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer Programmer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 12 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer Science, Computer Programming, Computer Software and Media Applications, Data Analytics, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 2,798 people a year in Washington.
How much do computer programmers earn in Washington?+
The median is $125,620 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 25.1% above the U.S. median of $100,390. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for computer programmers growing?+
BLS projects a -6.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 5,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Washington?+
48 institutions in Washington reported graduates from at least one of the 12 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do computer programmers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Programmer Analyst, Computer Programmer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1251.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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