About

Independent Colleges of Washington (ICW) is the association of the 10 private, nonprofit, liberal arts colleges in the state. ICW’s member institutions share a commitment to high-quality, academically rigorous learning and to an education that emphasizes critical thinking, lifelong learning, ethics, leadership, and community service.

ICW’s mission is to provide educational opportunity, choice, and success for students.

The mission is accomplished by:

• Securing financial resources for students;
• Advocating for public policy that supports students;
• Building strategic collaborations; and
• Telling the compelling story of academically rigorous independent higher education.

Member colleges are:

• High-quality, providing academically rigorous higher education with small classes taught by faculty;
• Successful, conferring a quarter of the state’s baccalaureate and higher degrees, with most students (75 percent) graduating in four years;
• Diverse in programs and missions, student body demographics, and geographical choices;
• Community contributors as students and graduates become dedicated leaders, participate actively in public service, benefit society with solid foundations in reasoning, ethical and social skills, and make their communities better places;
• Economic contributors that save taxpayers money and are employment forces in their communities.