For those interested in studying in Washington, we have a very useful list. We selected the best Washington institutions for prospective students. Please know that rankings are based on academic research, alumni reviews, graduation rates, as well as assessment from peer colleges. On the page, you will find major admissions stats such as acceptance rate, tuition fees, average SAT scores for each ranked college or university.
| Rankings | Schools |
| 1 | University of Washington (Seattle, WA) Tuition: N/A Total enrollment: 42,428 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 58.4% Average freshman retention rate: 93% 6-year graduation rate: 80% Classes with under 20 students: 34.3% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1080-1350 |
| 2 | Washington State University (Pullman, WA) Tuition: in-state: $12,300, out-of-state: $25,382 Total enrollment: 27,327 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 82.5% Average freshman retention rate: 83% 6-year graduation rate: 67% Classes with under 20 students: 39.6% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 950-1180 |
Washington State History
It is believed that the lands of the northwestern United States, including the territory of the modern state of Washington, were among the first in North America inhabited by Indian peoples. Archaeological research proves that people settled on the Olympic Peninsula at least nine thousand years before our era.
The temperate climate of Washington and abundant hunting grounds favored the development of the region. For the peoples living on the ocean coast and in the Puget Sound area (Chinook, Lammy, Maca, Quileute, Snohomish and others), fishing was the main occupation. The tribes that lived on the eastern plateaus and in the Columbia River Valley (Cayus, Nez Perce, Okanagan, Spokane, Yakama, Wenache, Palus and others) lived by hunting, gathering and seasonal (during the spawning of salmon rising up the river) fishing.
Today, there are more than twenty Indian reservations in Washington state, and First Nations represent about 1.5% of the state ‘s population.
The first European to explore the lands of modern Washington state was the Spaniard Juan Pérez Hernandez. He led an expedition organized in 1774 by those concerned about the rapid growth of Russian settlements in Alaska (more details – Russian America) and those wishing to confirm their claims to the region by the Spaniards. The following year, in 1775, members of a new expedition landed on the Olympic Peninsula, commanded by the Spanish captain Bruno de Eceta. It was he who was the first European to see the mouth of the Columbia River. The first British navigator to visit the area was the famous James Cook, who in 1778 gave the name to Cape Flattery, the northwestern tip of the continental United States. In 1787, Charles Barclay discovered the strait leading to Puget Sound, which he named Juan de Fuca (now the maritime border between the United States and Canada runs along this strait).