Bellevue College, which enrolls more than 20,000 students a year, earned the top spot among Washington state colleges in Newsweek's America's Best Colleges for Women 2026.

The college scored highly in two of the ranking's four categories: pay and policy, and safety. Those scores reflect competitive employee pay, on-campus daycare and what the ranking methodology calls a safe campus for women to work and learn, according to a college news release published Wednesday, Sept. 9.

President David May called the ranking a reflection of the college's commitment to supporting women students. May said Bellevue College remains focused on providing the resources and opportunities that help students "reach their full potential."

Newsweek developed the ranking in partnership with Gender Fair, a research organization. The methodology draws on U.S. Department of Education data, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the Campus Safety and Security Database. To qualify, colleges must grant bachelor's degrees, enroll at least 1,000 students and employ 20 or more women in academic roles.

The ranking evaluates schools across four areas: leadership, pay and policies, safety and opportunity. Newsweek and Gender Fair first released the list on Dec. 11, 2025, with Spelman College taking the No. 1 spot nationally. Bellevue College's specific national rank was not included in the announcement.

The ranking also flags state-level reproductive health policies so students can weigh how local laws affect healthcare access. Bellevue College has invested in that area directly. In 2024, the Institute for Women's Policy Research awarded the college $75,000 through its Connect for Success Initiative to create a reproductive health resource hub for underserved students. The hub operates in partnership with King County Eastgate Public Health Center.

The state-level designation is separate from the national list. Other state No. 1 honorees include Marymount University in Virginia, which ranked 46th nationally.

Bellevue College's reproductive health hub and its on-campus daycare are among the concrete services the ranking's methodology weighs when scoring pay, policy and safety.