Best Environmental Policy Schools Near Olympia, WA (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Olympia, Washington has 2 accredited schools offering environmental policy programs, with tuition ranging from $9,264 to $31,905 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 Washington, the top-earning environmental policy-related role is Political Scientists at a median $147,060 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Policy Schools to Olympia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental policy 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

The Evergreen State College

Olympia, WA 4.4 miles from Olympia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
39.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,320
Avg net price $24,319/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,264
Out‑of‑state$31,905
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Policy 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)
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $86,700 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $83,607
Compliance Officers $84,500 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $81,485
Management Analysts $88,790 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $85,622
Economists $103,000 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $99,325
Political Scientists $147,060 WA statewide $141,813
Conservation Scientists $78,460 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $75,661
Natural Sciences Managers $145,560 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $140,366
Environmental Engineers $108,240 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $104,378

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 Environmental Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental policy schools are near Olympia, WA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering environmental policy programs near Olympia. The closest is The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA (4.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Seattle Pacific University (48.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental policy roles near Olympia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental policy-related roles near Olympia are: Political Scientists ($147,060), Natural Sciences Managers ($145,560), Environmental Engineers ($108,240). 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 environmental policy 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 environmental policy?

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 Environmental Policy 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 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.

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