Best Software Quality Assurance Analyst programs in Washington, ranked by enrollment
Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes. Test system modifications to prepare for implementation.
45 schools in Washington run programs that feed this job, graduating 4,079 people a year. The job pays a median of $128,480 in Washington across about 7,970 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.
10 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 | 50.1% | 34 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 2 | CIP 11.0101In Washington → | 670 | 16.4% | 8 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0103In Washington → | 545 | 13.4% | 10 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 4 | CIP 11.0104In Washington → | 373 | 9.1% | 1 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 5 | CIP 11.0201In Washington → | 311 | 7.6% | 17 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 6 | CIP 14.0901In Washington → | 86 | 2.1% | 9 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 7 | CIP 14.0903In Washington → | 28 | 0.7% | 2 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 8 | CIP 11.0202In Washington → | 13 | 0.3% | 1 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 9 | CIP 11.0203In Washington → | 6 | 0.1% | 3 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 10 | CIP 15.1202In Washington → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $48,829 | $21,696 |
Top 25 schools in Washington
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 15 of the 45 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 · 5 feeder programs | 1,347 | Computer Science | $128,887 | 85% | — | 39% |
| 2 | University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA Public · 4 feeder programs | 378 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $73,385 | 63% | — | 83% |
| 3 | University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 350 | Computer Science | $128,887 | 65% | — | 91% |
| 4 | Washington State University Pullman, WA Public · 4 feeder programs | 297 | Computer Science | $79,519 | 60% | — | 87% |
| 5 | Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 274 | Information Technology | $56,049 | 54% | — | 91% |
| 6 | Seattle University Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 240 | Computer Science | $85,285 | 76% | $31,900 | 77% |
| 7 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 123 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $68,219 | 65% | — | 93% |
| 8 | Bellevue College Bellevue, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 122 | Computer Science | $73,214 | 36% | — | — |
| 9 | Green River College Auburn, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 107 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 10 | Gonzaga University Spokane, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 69 | Computer Science | $76,636 | 86% | $30,006 | 82% |
| 11 | North Seattle College Seattle, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 65 | Computer Science | — | 33% | — | — |
| 12 | Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 60 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | $67,004 | 43% | — | 91% |
| 13 | City University of Seattle Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 55 | Computer Science | — | — | $35,049 | — |
| 14 | Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 51 | Computer Science | — | 32% | — | — |
| 15 | Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 50 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 37% | — | — |
| 16 | Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 36 | Computer Science | $82,557 | 62% | $24,653 | 83% |
| 17 | Renton Technical College Renton, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 34 | Computer Science | — | 46% | — | — |
| 18 | Edmonds College Lynnwood, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 33 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
| 19 | South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 44% | — | — |
| 20 | Columbia Basin College Pasco, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 29 | Information Technology | — | 33% | — | — |
| 21 | Shoreline College Shoreline, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
| 22 | Cascadia College Bothell, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 27 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 32% | — | — |
| 23 | Whitworth University Spokane, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Computer Science | $62,139 | 71% | $23,510 | 90% |
| 24 | Spokane Falls Community College Spokane, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Computer Science | — | 32% | — | — |
| 25 | Centralia College Centralia, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 23 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 42% | — | — |
All 45 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 | 1,347 | 5 |
| University of Washington - Tacoma Campus | Tacoma | Public | 378 | 4 |
| University of Washington - Bothell Campus | Bothell | Public | 350 | 3 |
| Washington State University | Pullman | Public | 297 | 4 |
| Central Washington University | Ellensburg | Public | 274 | 2 |
| Seattle University | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 240 | 2 |
| Western Washington University | Bellingham | Public | 123 | 1 |
| Bellevue College | Bellevue | Public | 122 | 2 |
| Green River College | Auburn | Public | 107 | 2 |
| Gonzaga University | Spokane | Private not-for-profit | 69 | 2 |
| North Seattle College | Seattle | Public | 65 | 3 |
| Eastern Washington University | Cheney | Public | 60 | 1 |
| City University of Seattle | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 55 | 2 |
| Tacoma Community College | Tacoma | Public | 51 | 1 |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland | Public | 50 | 2 |
What software quality assurance analysts and testers earn in Washington
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $104,300. 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 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers page.
How to become a Software Quality Assurance Analyst
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 15 majors mapped to Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers15 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0101Computer and Information Sciences, General
- 11.0103Information Technology
- 11.0104Informatics
- 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
- 11.0501Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst
- 11.0701Computer Science
- 14.0901Computer Engineering, General
- 14.0903Computer Software Engineering
- 15.1201Computer Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.1202Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician
- 15.1204Computer Software Technology/Technician
Common questions
Answers for people weighing software quality assurance analysts and testers programs in Washington.
What degree do you need to become a Software Quality Assurance Analyst?+
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, 50.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Software Quality Assurance Analyst?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 10 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer Science, Computer and Information Sciences, Computer Programming, Computer Engineering, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 4,079 people a year in Washington.
How much do software quality assurance analysts and testers earn in Washington?+
The median is $128,480 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 23.2% above the U.S. median of $104,300. 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 software quality assurance analysts and testers growing?+
BLS projects a +10.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 14,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Washington?+
45 institutions in Washington reported graduates from at least one of the 10 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 software quality assurance analysts and testers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Software Test Engineer, Software Quality Engineer, Quality Assurance Analyst (QA Analyst), Software Quality Assurance Engineer (SQA Engineer) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1253.
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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