Best Online Accounting Programs in Olympia, WA (2026)

Olympia, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs. Olympia has a population of about 55,583. Median household income is $76,930 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $142,500 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Accounting Schools to Olympia

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer accounting programs near Olympia. Distances are calculated from Olympia city center.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Olympia. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

South Puget Sound Community College

Olympia, WA 2.2 miles from Olympia BOC Score59.0
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Online programs--

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#2

Pierce College District

Lakewood, WA 17.6 miles from Olympia BOC Score69.8
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Online programsYes

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#3

Clover Park Technical College

Lakewood, WA 20.9 miles from Olympia BOC Score63.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Tacoma Community College

Tacoma, WA 22.4 miles from Olympia BOC Score69.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Centralia College

Centralia, WA 22.7 miles from Olympia BOC Score56.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Washington schools on the Washington accounting page.


Accounting Wages Near Olympia

Olympia is part of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area (BLS area code 36500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor$94,470Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$91,099
Financial Manager$142,500Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$137,416
Financial Analyst$69,380Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$66,905
Budget Analyst$91,060Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$87,811
Tax Preparer$45,370WA statewide$43,751
Tax Examiner and Collector$72,850WA statewide$70,251
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk$55,590Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$53,607

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Olympia at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population55,583Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$76,930Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+50.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.7 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Thurston County806 workers, 156 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Olympia-Area Cities With Accounting Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Olympia, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near Olympia. The closest is South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, WA (2.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Centralia College (22.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Olympia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Olympia are: Financial Manager ($142,500), Accountant and Auditor ($94,470), Budget Analyst ($91,060). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Tumwater instead of Olympia?

Tumwater, WA is 3.6 miles from Olympia and has its own set of local accounting programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Olympia an affordable place to study accounting?

Olympia’s median household income of $76,930 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Olympia while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Accounting Programs

Other Programs Available in Olympia

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Olympia:

Data verified: June 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.