Washington · Registered Nursing

Best institutions to study Registered Nursing in Washington

The Registered Nursing program prepares students to become healthcare professionals who provide essential care to patients in various settings. This program covers a comprehensive curriculum that equips students with the necessary skills…

Institutions
41
offering CIP 51.38
States & territories
57
with a program page
Degrees / yr
4,065
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median grad earnings
$84,619
1 year after graduation
With earnings data
35
College Scorecard
Median net price
$22,260
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
46%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Registered Nurses
$121,540
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard).

#InstitutionGrad earnings (1 yr)CompletionsGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Saint Martin's University
Lacey Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$94,9476152%$22,131
2Walla Walla University
College Place Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$90,7093560%$22,260$29,500
3University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Seattle Public · Bachelor's degree
$86,21236085%$18,750
4University of Washington - Bothell Campus
Bothell Public · Bachelor's degree
$86,21212965%$18,750
5University of Washington - Tacoma Campus
Tacoma Public · Bachelor's degree
$86,21211563%$18,750
6Highline College
Des Moines Public · Associate degree
$84,6196235%$13,000
7Northwest University
Kirkland Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$84,5043771%$21,433$25,893
8Gonzaga University
Spokane Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$84,46624486%$30,006$27,000
9Olympic College
Bremerton Public · Associate degree
$84,10813031%$20,000
10Washington State University
Pullman Public · Bachelor's degree
$83,89440460%$21,500

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.9%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~189,100
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$93,600
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Critical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionMonitoringWriting

What Registered Nurses earn in Washington

Jobs in Washington
69,260
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$121,540
median $124,200
Best-paying metro
$126,390
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

Related careers

Registered Nurses
$121,540 avg · 69,260 jobs
Medical and Health Services Managers
$162,380 avg · 7,490 jobs
Nurse Practitioners
$152,180 avg · 6,700 jobs
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
$92,500 avg · 1,300 jobs
Nurse Anesthetists
$273,760 avg · 760 jobs
Nurse Midwives
$140,860 avg · 170 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Registered Nursing programs in Washington.

Which Registered Nursing program in Washington has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (College Scorecard), Saint Martin's University tops the list at $94,947. Compare it against completions, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Registered Nurses earn in Washington?+

The average annual wage for Registered Nurses in Washington is $121,540 (median $124,200), across about 69,260 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Registered Nursing program?+

The Registered Nursing program prepares students to become healthcare professionals who provide essential care to patients in various settings. This program covers a comprehensive curriculum that equips students with the necessary skills…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop critical thinking, active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Registered Nurses?+

The national job outlook is about +4.9% growth with around 189,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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