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Best Nursing Basic Certificate Schools in Washington

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2023 Best Nursing Basic Certificate Schools in Washington

12 Schools Ranked
$4,585 Avg Tuition & Fees*

With all the nursing programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Also there are many trade schools and bpptcamp that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Basic Certificate Schools in Washington to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 12 schools in Washington to see which ones offered the best basic certificate programs for nursing students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school us, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Nursing Basic Certificate Schools in Washington

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Centralia College

Centralia, Washington
$4,770 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Centralia College the best school in Washington for nursing students working on their basic certificate.

Full-time students from Washington pay an average of $4,770 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Centralia College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,239.

One thing to take note of is that Centralia College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 66% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Centralia College Report

#2

Whatcom Community College

Bellingham, Washington
$4,868 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Whatcom Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their basic certificate.

Students from Washington who attend Whatcom Community College full time pay an average of $4,868 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,473.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Whatcom Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 99% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Whatcom Community College

#3

Olympic College

Bremerton, Washington
$4,101 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Olympic College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Basic Certificate Schools in Washington list.

In-state students pay an average of $4,101 in tuition and fees if they attend OC full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,638.

Some students may be able to take online classes at OC. During the 2019-2020 year, about 83% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

Full Olympic College Report

$4,609 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 12 schools in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Washington Institute of Technology landed the # 4 spot on the list.

Full-time students from Washington pay an average of $4,609 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend LWTech. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,146.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since LWTech does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 75% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Lake Washington Institute of Technology

#5

Tacoma Community College

Tacoma, Washington
$4,929 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 12 schools in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, Tacoma Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list.

Full-time students from Washington pay an average of $4,929 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Tacoma Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,391.

Some students may be able to take online classes at Tacoma Community College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 85% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

Full Tacoma Community College Report

#6

Big Bend Community College

Moses Lake, Washington
$4,629 Average Tuition & Fees

Big Bend Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Basic Certificate Schools in Washington list.

Students from Washington who attend Big Bend Community College full time pay an average of $4,629 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,098.

One thing to take note of is that Big Bend Community College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 85% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Big Bend Community College Report

#7

Skagit Valley College

Mount Vernon, Washington
$4,431 Average Tuition & Fees

Skagit Valley College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #7 on the list.

The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Skagit Valley College is $4,431. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,507.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Skagit Valley College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Skagit Valley College

#8

Bellingham Technical College

Bellingham, Washington
$4,004 Average Tuition & Fees

Bellingham Technical College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Basic Certificate Schools in Washington list.

Full-time students from Washington pay an average of $4,004 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,227.

Online courses are available at Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 72% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#9

Renton Technical College

Renton, Washington
$5,671 Average Tuition & Fees

Renton Technical College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate nursing programs.

Students from Washington who attend Renton Technical College full time pay an average of $5,671 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,131.

Renton Technical College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 49% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Renton Technical College Report

#10

Lower Columbia College

Longview, Washington
$4,182 Average Tuition & Fees

Lower Columbia College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #10 on the list.

In-state students pay an average of $4,182 in tuition and fees if they attend LCC full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,403.

LCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 95% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Lower Columbia College Report

#11

Grays Harbor College

Aberdeen, Washington
$4,503 Average Tuition & Fees

Grays Harbor College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Basic Certificate Schools in Washington ranking.

The average in-state tuition and fees for students at GHC is $4,503. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,040.

GHC does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 82% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#12

Peninsula College

Port Angeles, Washington
$4,317 Average Tuition & Fees

Peninsula College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate nursing programs.

Students from Washington who attend Peninsula College full time pay an average of $4,317 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $4,779.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Peninsula College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 72% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

Best Nursing Basic Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region

View Best Nursing Basic Certificate Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 12 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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