Best Emergency Management Schools Near Yakima, WA (2026)

Yakima, Washington has 2 accredited schools offering emergency management programs, with tuition ranging from $4,772 to $5,619 per year for indexed programs. Yakima has a population of about 96,810. Median household income is $59,228 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Washington, the top-earning emergency management-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $130,780 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Emergency Management Schools to Yakima

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

#1

Big Bend Community College

Moses Lake, WA 70.6 miles from Yakima BOC Score 66.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,814
Avg net price $12,210/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Highline College

Des Moines, WA 99.2 miles from Yakima BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 48

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Pierce College District

Lakewood, WA 103.7 miles from Yakima BOC Score 69.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 37

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education

Kirkland, WA 106.7 miles from Yakima 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

#5

Cascadia College

Bothell, WA 111.6 miles from Yakima BOC Score 56.8
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,133
Avg net price $12,281/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Edmonds College

Lynnwood, WA 118.7 miles from Yakima BOC Score 67.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,144
Avg net price $11,010/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,810
Out‑of‑state$10,875
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Olympic College

Bremerton, WA 119.3 miles from Yakima BOC Score 60.1
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,169
Avg net price $7,172/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 161.1 miles from Yakima BOC Score 74.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,905
Avg net price $14,971/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Emergency Management Wages Near Yakima

Yakima is part of the Yakima, WA metro area (BLS area code 49420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Emergency Management Director$130,780WA statewide$136,942
Firefighter$62,120Yakima, WA$65,047
Emergency Medical Technician$52,690WA statewide$55,173
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$95,590Yakima, WA$100,094

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.


Yakima at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population96,810Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,228Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Yakima-Area Cities With Emergency Management Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited emergency management schools are near Yakima, WA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering emergency management programs near Yakima. The closest is Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, WA (70.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Highline College (99.3 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying emergency management roles near Yakima?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying emergency management-related roles near Yakima are: Emergency Management Director ($130,780), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($95,590), Firefighter ($62,120). 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 Ellensburg instead of Yakima?

Ellensburg, WA is 28.2 miles from Yakima and has its own set of local emergency management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Yakima an affordable place to study emergency management?

Yakima’s median household income of $59,228 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Yakima 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 Emergency Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Yakima

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

Data verified: August 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.