Best Online Biology Programs in Spokane, WA (2026)

Spokane, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $8,586 to $73,178 per year for indexed programs. Spokane has a population of about 229,228. Median household income is $65,745 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $92,010 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Spokane

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Spokane, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Spokane city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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 Spokane. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA 1.2 miles from Spokane BOC Score 76.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,892
Avg net price $35,119/yr
Tuition
In‑state$55,480
Out‑of‑state$55,480
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Spokane Falls Community College

Spokane, WA 1.6 miles from Spokane BOC Score 58.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,955
Avg net price $7,409/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Spokane Community College

Spokane, WA 3.3 miles from Spokane BOC Score 68.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,984
Avg net price $5,473/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Whitworth University

Spokane, WA 6.0 miles from Spokane BOC Score 63.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,561
Avg net price $26,534/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Biology Wages Near Spokane

Spokane is part of the Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA metro area (BLS area code 44060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical Scientist$92,010Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$91,735
Biological Technician$60,800WA statewide$60,618
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$74,710Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$74,487
Soil and Plant Scientist$79,970WA statewide$79,731

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.


Spokane at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population229,228Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,745Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Spokane-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Spokane, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Spokane. The closest is Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Eastern Washington University (13.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Spokane?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Spokane are: Medical Scientist ($92,010), Soil and Plant Scientist ($79,970), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($74,710). 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 Spokane Valley instead of Spokane?

Spokane Valley, WA is 9.2 miles from Spokane and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Spokane an affordable place to study biology?

Spokane’s median household income of $65,745 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Spokane 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 Biology Programs

Other Programs Available in Spokane

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.