Bellingham, WA · Public · Every figure is for a student starting in fall 2027. We work each one out again whenever we update the site.
How to pay for Western Washington University
What a year costs here, what brings it down, and what a SmartTuition plan could save a family like yours.
Paying for four years here
In this range the College Grant for a Washington family of four falls from $8,804 a year at Western Washington University to $880 (2026-27). A family near the top of the range gets less aid than this average.
Four years here, after grants
$83,663
A SmartTuition plan could save a family like this about $3,600.
A SmartTuition plan shows what to pay from where, each semester, using your own numbers.
Build your SmartTuition plan for Western Washington University, $99 →Best once your award letter arrives. No letter yet? Get the monthly email.
A family of four with good credit and $500 a month for college. How we worked these out ↓
A year at Western Washington University
| Full price, in state | $29,226 |
| Full price, out of state | $48,702 |
| After grants, at your income | $19,574 |
At this income, 6 of Washington's other 18 colleges cost less after grants, and 12 cost more. See them all →
What can bring it down
Washington's College Grant. For a Washington family of four, tuition and most fees at $83,500 or less; less above that, and none over $139,500.
Merit scholarships. In state: $1,000 to $4,000, for one or two years, highly competitive (and 2 more below).
Pay less for college
A SmartTuition plan shows what to pay from where, each semester.
At Western Washington University, our scenarios for Washington households with good parent credit show a SmartTuition plan saving a median of about $6,100 over four years. How we worked this out ↓
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Put your schools side by side →Merit scholarships
What Western Washington University says it awards for grades and test scores.
In state: $1,000 to $4,000, for one or two years, highly competitive
“These highly competitive merit scholarships for incoming first-year resident students are based on a student's academic performance as measured by their high school cumulative unweighted grade point average (GPA). Scholarships range from $1,000-$4,000 for one- or two-year awards.”
From the Western Undergraduate Exchange states: about $14,910 a year, from a 3.25 GPA (not guaranteed)
GPA 3.25 or higher About $14,910 a year WUE award Western gives it to a select group of the students who qualify.
Out of state: $10,000 to $14,000 a year, highly competitive
“For the 2026-27 academic year, the WAE is valued at $10,000-$14,000 for each year (for up to four years). The WAE is a prestigious non-resident scholarship and is a highly competitive merit scholarship for incoming first-year students.”
Enter your student's GPA in our college comparison to see this scholarship beside your family's price.
How we worked these out
The family
A family of four with good parent credit and $500 a month to put toward college, and the savings you pick. In state, the grants are what Western Washington University reports families at that income got, on average. Your own will differ, and a family with no aid pays close to the full price. Out of state, there are no grants: the price is before any scholarship from the college.
What a SmartTuition plan saves
The difference, over four years, between a SmartTuition plan and the standard approach: savings first, then loans for the rest. It counts loan interest and the federal tax credit.
The $6,100 in the “Pay less for college” box near the top of this page is the median saving in Western Washington University's own scenarios. Each scenario is a household that lives in Washington, with an income from $45,000 to $200,000 and savings of none, $40,000 or $100,000 in a 529. We price Western Washington University at the aid it reports for that income.
Every scenario has parents with good credit and $500 a month toward college. The card above uses the same two. A scenario where the parents would borrow more than $65,000 is left out.
Why the dates matter
Washington sets your grant from the income on the FAFSA, which uses your tax return from two years before college starts.
Source: Washington Student Achievement Council
“For the 2026-27 FAFSA or WASFA, use the household income reported on your 2024 taxes.”
The prices by income
- They describe students who got aid.
- “Over $110,000” has no upper limit, so it averages families just over $110,000 with far wealthier ones. A family at $115,000 should expect to pay less than it shows.
- Each range is reported on its own, so the prices do not always rise with income.
Where the prices come from
Where the prices come from: Western Washington University's own 2026-27 tuition, fees, housing, food and books, from its website, carried forward to 2027 at 3.0% a year. The grants are the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (2025-26 figures), carried forward the same way. Each price after grants is the cost less those grants. The out-of-state figure uses the published out-of-state tuition instead. The average price after grants counts the students who get federal aid. Your own figure will be different.
Western Washington University's own budget for 2026-27 is $33,111 in state and $52,020 out of state. It also counts costs the university doesn't bill for, such as travel and personal spending. We leave those out.
SmartTuition.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Western Washington University. Aid policies change; check current terms with the college's aid office.
Nearby at your income
- Northwest University$18,000 a year
- Central Washington University$19,397 a year
- Western Washington University$19,574 a year
- Washington State University$20,003 a year
- Heritage University$24,052 a year
What each college charges, less the average grant for your income. Every Washington college →