Report: Daycare in Washington is more expensive than tuition at UW, WSU

Childcare costs in Washington continue to soar, with a new report estimating that it’s now more expensive putting your child in daycare for a year than paying tuition for a single year at some universities.

The report comes from the Annie E. Casey Foundation as part of what it calls the “KIDS COUNT Data Book.” It details childcare costs in every state across the nation, and ranks each state according to a variety of factors.

In Washington, putting your child in daycare costs just over $14,000 a year, which accounts for 39% of the median income of a single mother, and 12% for a married couple.

Comparatively, in-state yearly tuition costs roughly $12,000 at the University of Washington, and $13,800 at Washington State University.

Washington fared better as a state in a handful of categories ranked in the report. Washington was in the “best” category for child health at 6th in the nation, as well as 10th in family and community. For child well-being, Washington sat in the “better” category at 16th, and 25th for economic well-being.

Washington lagged behind in education in the “worse” category at 28th.

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