Best Counseling Schools Near Olympia, WA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Olympia, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $5,418 to $18,882 per year for indexed 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 counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $108,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Olympia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Olympia, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Olympia 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 Olympia. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA 3.7 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
44.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,092
Avg net price $28,119/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pierce College District

Lakewood, WA 17.7 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,532
Avg net price $10,222/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,418
Out‑of‑state$5,976
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Clover Park Technical College

Lakewood, WA 20.9 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
63.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,787
Avg net price $9,864/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,634
Out‑of‑state$6,634
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 22.6 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,990
Avg net price $19,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Centralia College

Centralia, WA 22.8 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
56.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,140
Avg net price $9,862/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Faith International University

Tacoma, WA 24.3 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,006
Avg net price $22,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, WA 24.9 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
57.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,594
Avg net price $38,394/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Highline College

Des Moines, WA 36.7 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,869
Avg net price $9,879/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,772
Out‑of‑state$5,332
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Counseling 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor $67,650 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $65,236
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $83,050 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $80,087
Marriage and Family Therapist $60,000 WA statewide $57,859
Rehabilitation Counselor $63,570 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $61,302
Counselor, All Other $69,530 WA statewide $67,049
Social and Community Service Manager $108,380 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $104,513

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

Metric Value Source
Population 55,583 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $76,930 Census 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
Counseling-related employment in Thurston County 5,390 workers, 460 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Olympia-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Olympia, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Olympia. The closest is Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, WA (3.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Centralia College (22.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Olympia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Olympia are: Social and Community Service Manager ($108,380), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($83,050), Counselor, All Other ($69,530). 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 counseling 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 counseling?

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 Counseling Programs

Other Programs Available in Olympia

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Counseling Schools in Washington: Online Programs (2026)