John de Marherit, Chairman & CEO | Academy of Interactive Entertainment
John de Marherit, Chairman & CEO | Academy of Interactive Entertainment
Data shows that students paid $14,402 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $353 more than the previous school year.
Among the 26 institutions providing full disclosure in the county, Seattle University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $51,324. Seattle Pacific University followed with an average of $37,158 per year. Bellevue College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $4,386.
At the time, at least $120.8 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the King County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $25.3 million.
Currently there are 29 higher education institutions in King County, including Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Shoreline, Highline College, and Divers Institute of Technology.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 29 institutions in King County, three did not provide detailed data on tuition fees, including Antioch University-Seattle, Bastyr University, and City University of Seattle.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Seattle College | 218 | $1,469,571 | $6,741 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Seattle University | 986 | $31,282,832 | $31,727 | 514 | $4,019,411 | $7,820 |
| Academy of Interactive Entertainment | 24 | $106,427 | $4,434 | 22 | $208,497 | $9,477 |
| Seattle Central College | 563 | $2,975,526 | $5,285 | 31 | $201,446 | $6,498 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Seattle | 46 | $253,838 | $5,518 | 72 | $668,916 | $9,291 |
| DigiPen Institute of Technology | 106 | $1,242,329 | $11,720 | 100 | $1,062,954 | $10,630 |
| Divers Institute of Technology | 124 | $552,341 | $4,454 | 114 | $1,759,431 | $15,434 |
| City University of Seattle | 0 | $0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| North Seattle College | 202 | $1,285,709 | $6,365 | 18 | $88,215 | $4,901 |
| Bastyr University | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| University of Washington-Bothell Campus | 439 | $6,395,824 | $14,569 | 185 | $948,057 | $5,125 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Renton | 136 | $665,709 | $4,895 | 196 | $1,586,934 | $8,097 |
| Bellevue College | 277 | $2,034,453 | $7,345 | 46 | $220,548 | $4,795 |
| Shoreline Community College | 150 | $1,067,709 | $7,118 | 27 | $181,089 | $6,707 |
| Northwest University | 150 | $3,279,530 | $21,864 | 78 | $541,568 | $6,943 |
| Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Shoreline | 24 | $91,259 | $3,802 | 29 | $210,563 | $7,261 |
| Highline College | 245 | $1,456,238 | $5,944 | 14 | $69,713 | $4,980 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 3,125 | $44,967,815 | $14,390 | 1,389 | $9,463,398 | $6,813 |
| Cornish College of the Arts | 124 | $1,862,809 | $15,023 | 107 | $975,925 | $9,121 |
| KaiStar | 83 | $663,817 | $7,998 | 47 | $317,505 | $6,755 |
| Cascadia College | 61 | $413,855 | $6,785 | 6 | $26,777 | $4,463 |
| Seattle Film Institute | 5 | $36,402 | $7,280 | 5 | $27,167 | $5,433 |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology | 101 | $688,079 | $6,813 | 8 | $52,584 | $6,573 |
| Seattle Pacific University | 524 | $14,708,510 | $28,070 | 290 | $1,843,911 | $6,358 |
| Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Seattle | 9 | $45,240 | $5,027 | 16 | $190,202 | $11,888 |
| Antioch University-Seattle | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Green River College | 305 | $1,965,424 | $6,444 | 57 | $287,655 | $5,047 |
| Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education | 30 | $165,946 | $5,532 | 35 | $213,655 | $6,104 |
| Renton Technical College | 132 | $1,079,629 | $8,179 | 15 | $119,637 | $7,976 |
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