Best Digital Forensics Schools Near Olympia, WA (2026)

Olympia, Washington is home to about 55,583 residents. 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 digital forensics-related role is Information Security Analysts at a median $126,850 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Digital Forensics Schools to Olympia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer digital forensics 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 โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 111.1 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,580
Avg net price $18,476/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 99

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Digital Forensics 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)
Information Security Analysts $126,850 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $122,324
Computer Occupations, All Other $100,620 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $97,030
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $88,790 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $85,622
Forensic Science Technicians $81,310 WA statewide $78,409
Computer Systems Analysts $107,140 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $103,317
Computer Network Support Specialists $92,770 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $89,460
Private Detectives and Investigators $56,530 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $54,513
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $112,530 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $108,515

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

Other Olympia-Area Cities With Digital Forensics Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying digital forensics roles near Olympia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying digital forensics-related roles near Olympia are: Information Security Analysts ($126,850), Network and Computer Systems Administrators ($112,530), Computer Systems Analysts ($107,140). 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 digital forensics 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 digital forensics?

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 Digital Forensics Programs

Other Programs Available in Olympia

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

Data verified: September 7, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.