Best Online Elementary Education Programs in Tumwater, WA (2026)

Tumwater, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs. Tumwater has a population of about 26,519. Median household income is $93,635 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area, the top-earning elementary education-related role is Secondary School Teacher at a median $105,200 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Elementary Education Schools to Tumwater

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

#1

Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA 6.1 miles from Tumwater BOC Score 44.6
  • 4 year
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: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 24.8 miles from Tumwater BOC Score 73.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA 28.6 miles from Tumwater BOC Score 83.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $10,163/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

City University of Seattle

Seattle, WA 51.0 miles from Tumwater BOC Score 59.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,460
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Antioch University-Seattle

Seattle, WA 51.0 miles from Tumwater BOC Score 56.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 54.0 miles from Tumwater BOC Score 89.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $14,091/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Northwest University

Kirkland, WA 57.3 miles from Tumwater BOC Score 50.9
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $22,288/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,035
Out‑of‑state$36,035
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education

Kirkland, WA 57.3 miles from Tumwater BOC Score 33.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $35,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Elementary Education Wages Near Tumwater

Tumwater 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)
Elementary School Teacher$104,650Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$100,916
Middle School Teacher$104,410Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$100,685
Secondary School Teacher$105,200Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$101,446
Teaching Assistant$51,350Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$49,518

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.


Tumwater at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population26,519Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$93,635Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.7 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Tumwater-Area Cities With Elementary Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited elementary education schools are near Tumwater, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs near Tumwater. The closest is Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, WA (6.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Antioch University-Seattle (51.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying elementary education roles near Tumwater?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying elementary education-related roles near Tumwater are: Secondary School Teacher ($105,200), Elementary School Teacher ($104,650), Middle School Teacher ($104,410). 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 Olympia instead of Tumwater?

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

Is Tumwater an affordable place to study elementary education?

Tumwater’s median household income of $93,635 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Tumwater 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 Elementary Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Tumwater

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

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.