Best Fire Science Schools Near Yakima, WA (2026)

Yakima, Washington has 3 accredited schools offering fire science programs, with tuition ranging from $4,711 to $8,668 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 fire science-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $130,780 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Fire Science Schools to Yakima

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

Wenatchee Valley College

Wenatchee, WA 58.8 miles from Yakima BOC Score 54.1
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,127
Avg net price $9,722/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bates Technical College

Tacoma, WA 100.4 miles from Yakima BOC Score 65.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,051
Avg net price $6,292/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,027
Out‑of‑state$12,165
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Clover Park Technical College

Lakewood, WA 100.5 miles from Yakima BOC Score 63.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,787
Avg net price $9,864/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,634
Out‑of‑state$6,634
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

North Seattle College

Seattle, WA 113.4 miles from Yakima BOC Score 48.3
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,728
Avg net price $10,740/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,238
Out‑of‑state$5,796
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Walla Walla Community College

Walla Walla, WA 113.8 miles from Yakima BOC Score 70.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,526
Avg net price $9,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

South Puget Sound Community College

Olympia, WA 116.6 miles from Yakima BOC Score 59.0
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,039
Avg net price $9,132/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Lower Columbia College

Longview, WA 118.0 miles from Yakima BOC Score 66.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,691
Avg net price $7,630/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,626
Out‑of‑state$6,003
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Everett Community College

Everett, WA 124.6 miles from Yakima BOC Score 66.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,434
Avg net price $10,684/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,032
Out‑of‑state$11,171
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Fire Science 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)
Firefighter$62,120Yakima, WA$65,047
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$95,590Yakima, WA$100,094
Fire Inspector and Investigator$122,900WA statewide$128,691
Emergency Management Director$130,780WA statewide$136,942

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 Fire Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited fire science schools are near Yakima, WA?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering fire science programs near Yakima. The closest is Wenatchee Valley College in Wenatchee, WA (58.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Green River College (91.5 miles).

What are the highest-paying fire science roles near Yakima?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying fire science-related roles near Yakima are: Emergency Management Director ($130,780), Fire Inspector and Investigator ($122,900), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($95,590). 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 fire science 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 fire science?

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 Fire Science 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.