5 Best Universities in Tacoma, WA [2026 Rankings]

Top 5 universities in Tacoma ranked by EduRank based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence. The rankings are determined by analyzing 294K citations received by 9K academic publications made by 5 universities from Tacoma, the popularity of 56 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. University of Puget Sound

#5 in Washington

#377 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1275
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $43,188

2. Pacific Lutheran University

#12 in Washington

#592 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $22,299

3. Tacoma Community College

#31 in Washington

#1441 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $7,308
Enrollment: 6,199

4. University of Washington - Tacoma

#48 in Washington

#2039 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $12,161
Enrollment: 4,965

5. Faith International University

#55 in Washington

#2138 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $25,165
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $6,203

Universities near Tacoma

Distance, km 📏 km	University	Country rank 🏆	City
8	Clover Park Technical College	1856	Lakewood, Washington
11	Pierce College - Fort Steilacoom	2471	Lakewood, Washington
20	Highline College	1258	Des Moines, Washington
23	Green River College	1451	Auburn, Washington
35	Saint Martin's University	1134	Lacey, Washington
35	Renton Technical College	1613	Renton, Washington
35	South Seattle College	1789	Seattle, Washington
35	Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine	1904	Seattle, Washington
39	Olympic College	1518	Bremerton, Washington
42	Seattle University	167	Seattle, Washington