Best Environmental Science Schools Near Tumwater, WA (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Tumwater, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $4,711 to $22,040 per year for indexed 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 environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $108,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Tumwater

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

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

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#1

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA 28.7 miles from Tumwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.8 BOC Score
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: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Green River College

Auburn, WA 41.5 miles from Tumwater
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,712
Avg net price $13,803/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,711
Out‑of‑state$5,263
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Grays Harbor College

Aberdeen, WA 41.6 miles from Tumwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,865
Avg net price $4,783/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,593
Out‑of‑state$12,553
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 51.1 miles from Tumwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,272
Avg net price $34,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 54.2 miles from Tumwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.7 BOC Score
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: 234

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northwest University

Kirkland, WA 57.3 miles from Tumwater
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
50.9 BOC Score
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: 32

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Bastyr University

Kenmore, WA 59.9 miles from Tumwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
46.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,364
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Bothell, WA 63.1 miles from Tumwater
  • 4 year
77.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $12,319/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science 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)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$86,700Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$83,607
Conservation Scientist$78,460Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$75,661
Environmental Engineer$108,240Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$104,378
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$82,500Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$79,556

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 Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Tumwater, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Tumwater. The closest is University of Washington-Tacoma Campus in Tacoma, WA (28.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Washington-Seattle Campus (54.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Tumwater?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Tumwater are: Environmental Engineer ($108,240), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($86,700), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($82,500). 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 environmental science 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 environmental science?

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 Environmental Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Tumwater

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

Data verified: September 1, 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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