study in Seattle
A coastal technology centre with one of the strongest computer science schools in the country — and no state income tax, which materially changes what an OPT salary is worth.
Seattle exists on this list because of a specific alignment: a top-tier public computer science programme, headquarters of two of the world's largest technology employers, and a state that levies no personal income tax. For a graduate expecting a technology salary on OPT, that last point is worth thousands of dollars a year.
The city sits between Puget Sound and the Cascade mountains, with genuinely accessible hiking, skiing and water. It is greener and quieter than the California tech centres and has a strong coffee, music and independent-bookshop culture.
The costs are real: housing is expensive, and the winters are famously grey — long stretches of low cloud and drizzle rather than cold, which affects some people more than they expect.
One very large public research university plus private institutions across the metropolitan area.
University of Washington
A leading public research university; computer science, engineering, medicine, global health and oceanography.Seattle University
Private and central; law, nursing, business and computer science.Seattle Pacific University
Small private university; nursing, business, education and psychology.Seattle's rents are high, but Washington levies no state income tax — so a given salary on OPT keeps considerably more of itself here than in New York or California. For students planning on technology work, that offset is substantial.
Against the other cities we cover in the United States, Seattle is one of the more expensive. That is our reading of this country’s own spread, not a published index.
The United States publishes no national student living-cost figure. The number your visa evidence must satisfy is the cost of attendance printed on your Form I-20.
The practical texture of the place — what a week actually looks like.
Climate
Mild but persistently grey and wet from October to April. Rarely freezing, rarely hot. The lack of winter light is the real adjustment.
Getting around
Light rail, buses and ferries on an ORCA card. The light rail connects the airport, downtown and the university directly.
Housing
Expensive. Shared housing in the University District, or further out along the light-rail line where rents fall sharply.
Working
20 hours a week on campus during term on an F-1. Off-campus work needs CPT or OPT authorisation first — no exceptions.
Tax
No Washington state income tax. Sales tax is high instead, but on a salary the net effect strongly favours the student.
The outdoors
Mountains, forest and water within an hour. The cheapest recreation in an expensive city.
OPT is 12 months, with a 24-month STEM extension, federally, in Washington exactly as in New York. The state changes your tax, not your immigration status.
The advantage here is arithmetic rather than legal. Two graduates on identical OPT salaries — one in Seattle, one in New York City — keep noticeably different amounts, because one pays no state or city income tax. Combine that with a computer science programme adjacent to major employers and Seattle becomes a strong option for STEM students specifically, whose 24-month OPT extension makes the tax difference compound over three years.
Seattle is one of 5 cities we cover in the United States. Tap any pin to compare — the city you pick moves your total cost more than almost any other choice you make.