Become an LPN or RN in Washington

Narrow Down Nursing Schools that Best Meet Your Goals

It's a great time to go to school for nursing in Washington. Across the country well-educated RNs and LPNs are in huge demand. Washington is no different. Nurses in mid- to late-career are abandoning jobs and reducing work hours, leaving in their wake a dangerous void.

Seattle Skyline.

How to Narrow Down the List of Schools

When you want a brick and mortar nursing program right in your own backyard consider one of the few dozen in Washington. Given an A to Z list of schools, how do you best narrow down your search to schools that matter to your career goals?

Technical and vocational nursing schools primarily offer practical nurse programs. Here you learn very basic patient care skills that only prep you for LPN jobs and licensure. You can always add-on education later to earn your RN license.
Community colleges in the state specialize in the Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN). These 2-year programs are among the most popular for new nurses. Again, an abundant number of RN-to-BSN programs are available on campuses or online should you wish to advance your nursing education and career opportunities.
Four-year colleges and university nursing programs deliver the baccalaureate, graduate, and post-grad nursing degrees: BSNs, MSNs, graduate certificates & PhDs.

If you're a new nurse in Washington and have no previous college degree then first decide your goal, then adjust your school search as needed.

Professional nurses or career changers with a college degree already, should narrow their search for nursing schools to the four-year colleges and universities.

Find a Good Salary and Job in Washington State

Of course salary matters and a good job is the intended goal of a nursing degree. An average salary range for a staff RN in Seattle is between $61,000 and $73,600. Compare this with that for a staff RN in the Yakima area: $50,700 to $61,000.(1) This illustrates the significant differences in RN salaries between very metro areas and those a bit more outlying. If you are up for an adventure, why not try a couple travel nursing assignments in the state? These jobs offer excellent pay, completion bonuses and variety. AND there are many travel jobs open in the Pacific Northwest region.(2)

Hospitals remain the largest employers of nurses, particularly RNs. There are over 60 in state (3). But when it comes time to search for a job don't overlook the other direct patient care and non-patient care employers where nurses are prevalent, including long-term and assisted care facilities, outpatient clinics, doctors — offices, school systems and large businesses, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, research facilities, and legal offices.

Tacoma.

For information on state licensure requirements visit the Washington State board of nursing.

Washington Nursing Schools that Offer Some Online Degree Options

Gonzaga University
CCNE Accredited

University of Phoenix
CCNE Accredited

Search our big list of online nursing schools for many more distance education opportunities.

Campus-based Nursing Schools in Washington

Bellevue Community College — Bellevue
Health Sciences
NLNAC Accredited

Big Bend Community College — Moses Lake
School of Nursing
NLNAC Accredited

Clark College — Vancouver
NLNAC Accredited

Columbia Basin College — Pasco
Nursing Department
NLNAC Accredited

Eastern Washington University — Cheney
WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing
CCNE Accredited

Everett Community College — Everett
Department of Nursing
NLNAC Accredited

Gonzaga University — Spokane
CCNE Accredited

Grays Harbor College — Aberdeen
Nursing Program
NLNAC Accredited

Highline Community College — Des Moines
Nursing Program
NLNAC Accredited

Lake Washington Technical College — Kirkland

Lower Columbia College — Longview
NLNAC Accredited

Northwest University — Kirkland
CCNE Accredited

Olympic College — Bremerton
NLNAC Accredited

Pacific Lutheran University — Tacoma
CCNE Accredited

Peninsula College — Port Angeles
Department of Nursing
NLNAC Accredited

Pierce College — Puyallup
Associate Degree Nursing
NLNAC Accredited

Seattle Central Community College — Seattle
NLNAC Accredited

Seattle Pacific University — Seattle
CCNE Accredited

Seattle University — Seattle
CCNE Accredited

Shoreline Community College — Seattle
Nursing Program
NLNAC Accredited

Skagit Valley College — Mount Vernon
Nursing Department
NLNAC Accredited

South Puget Sound Community College — Olympia
NLNAC Accredited

Tacoma Community College — Tacoma
NLNAC Accredited

University of Washington — Seattle
CCNE Accredited

Walla Walla Community College — Walla Walla
NLNAC Accredited

Washington State University — Spokane
CCNE Accredited

Wenatchee Valley College — Wenatchee
NLNAC Accredited

Whitworth College
CCNE Accredited

Yakima Valley Community College — Yakima
NLNAC Accredited

1 Salary.com
2 Travel Nursing Demands Shift to Pacific Northwest
3 American Hospital Directory

Get Your Free Information on Nursing & Healthcare Programs

Find Your Healthcare Degree Fast
Featured Nursing Schools
Popular Nurse Degrees
- Advanced Practice
- LPN
- RN
Program Level
Nursing Programs
Financial Aid
Features

School	Location	Contact Information	BSN	MSN	DSN	Certs
Bellevue College	Nursing Program 3000 Landerholm Circle SE Bellevue, WA 98007	Chief Nurse Administrator: Vicky Hertig, PhD, RN Title: Associate Dean E-Mail: vicky.hertig@bellevuecollege.edu Phone: 425-564-2167 Fax: 425-564-4135	BSN
Gonzaga University	School of Nursing and Human Physiology 502 East Boone Avenue, AD Box 38 Spokane, WA 99258-0038	Chief Nurse Administrator: Jeff Ramirez, PhD, MSN, MPA, RN, PMH-NP, ARNP Title: Chair, Dean E-Mail: ramirez@gonzaga.edu Phone: 509-313-6484 Fax: 509-313-5827	BSN	MSN	DNP
Northwest University	Mark and Huldah Buntain School of Nursing 5520 108th Avenue, NE Kirkland, WA 98033	Chief Nurse Administrator: Carl Christensen, PhD, RN Title: Dean and Professor E-Mail: carl.christensen@northwestu.edu Phone: 425-889-7837 Fax: 425-889-5748	BSN
Olympic College	Nursing Program 1600 Chester Avenue Bremerton, WA 98337-1699	Chief Nurse Administrator: Gerianne Babbo, MN, RN Title: Associate Dean E-Mail: gbabbo@olympic.edu Phone: 360-394-2749 Fax: 360-394-2739	BSN
Pacific Lutheran University	School of Nursing 12180 Park Avenue South Tacoma, WA 98447-0029	Chief Nurse Administrator: Sheila K. Smith, PhD, RN, ANP-BC Title: Dean and Professor E-Mail: smithsk@plu.edu Phone: 253-535-7672 Fax: 253-535-7590	BSN	MSN
Saint Martin's University	Department of Nursing 5000 Abbey Way SE Lacey, WA 98503-7500	Chief Nurse Administrator: Louise Kaplan, PhD Title: Director E-Mail: lkaplan@stmartin.edu Phone: 360-412-6129 Fax: 360-486-8869	BSN
Seattle Pacific University	School of Health Sciences 3307 Third Avenue West, Suite 106 Seattle, WA 98119-1922	Chief Nurse Administrator: Lorie Wild, PhD, RN, NEA-BC Title: Dean E-Mail: wildl@spu.edu Phone: 206-281-2608 Fax: 206-281-2767	BSN	MSN
Seattle University	College of Nursing 901 12th Avenue, PO Box 222000 Seattle, WA 98122-1090	Chief Nurse Administrator: Kristen M. Swanson, PhD, RN, FAAN Title: Dean and Professor E-Mail: swansonk@seattleu.edu Phone: 206-296-5670 Fax: 206-296-5544	BSN	MSN	DNP	APRN
University of Washington	School of Nursing 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357260 Seattle, WA 98195	Chief Nurse Administrator: Azita Emami, PhD Title: Dean E-Mail: emamia@uw.edu Phone: 206-221-2472 Fax: 206-616-2420	BSN	MSN	DNP	APRN
Washington State University	College of Nursing 103 East Spokane Falls Boulevard, PO Box 1495 Spokane, WA 99210-1495	Chief Nurse Administrator: Joyce P. Griffin-Sobel, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN Title: Dean E-Mail: joyce.griffin-sobel@wsu.edu Phone: 509-324-7332 Fax: 509-324-7341	BSN	MSN	DNP	APRN
Western Washington University	RN-to-BSN Program 516 High Street, Miller Hall 416B/MS 9091 Bellingham, WA 98225	Chief Nurse Administrator: Christine R. Espina, DNP, RN Title: Interim Nurse Director E-Mail: christine.espina@wwu.edu Phone: 360-650-6631 Fax: 360-650-7729	BSN

Become an LPN or RN in Washington

Narrow Down Nursing Schools that Best Meet Your Goals

How to Narrow Down the List of Schools

Find a Good Salary and Job in Washington State

Washington Nursing Schools that Offer Some Online Degree Options

Campus-based Nursing Schools in Washington

Get Your Free Information on Nursing & Healthcare Programs

Find Your Healthcare Degree Fast

Featured Nursing Schools

Popular Nurse Degrees

Program Level

Nursing Programs

Financial Aid

Features