alphabetical / by state
33 Traditional Schools in Washington
From Washington’s beginnings, the land was central to life in the state, with forestry, agriculture, and fishing remaining some of Washington’s most important industries to this day. Washington’s climate is perfect for grapes, making Washington the second most productive wine-making state in the US, after California, and if you’re eaten apples, apricots, and cherries from anywhere but your own tree, they probably came from Washington. Then came the tech boom. Today, Washington is one of the world’s leading locations for entrepreneurship, technology, and retail, with 4 of the nation’s 20 most-admired companies at home in Washington - Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Costco. Washington is one of the greenest states in the union too, in more ways than one - 80% of Washington’s electricity comes from hydroelectric power, and environmental consciousness is pretty much synonymous with Washington State. All of Washington’s idiosyncrasies are reflected in Washington’s higher education. The best colleges in Washington are a healthy mix of small liberal arts colleges like Whitman College and Gonzaga University, nationally-recognized institutions that supply leaders in business, education, and government; major research universities like the University of Washington and Western Washington University, that keep the state’s tech scene churning with the most up-to-date research and development; and wonderful wild cards like The Evergreen State University and the University of Puget Sound, forward-looking institutions that test the limits of higher education to create tomorrow’s innovators.