Best General Studies Schools Near Bellingham, WA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Bellingham, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs. Bellingham has a population of about 92,367. Median household income is $65,821 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bellingham, WA metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $125,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Bellingham

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Bellingham, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Bellingham 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 Bellingham. 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

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA 1.3 miles from Bellingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,569
Avg net price $21,193/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bellingham Technical College

Bellingham, WA 2.2 miles from Bellingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,748
Avg net price $5,997/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Whatcom Community College

Bellingham, WA 3.0 miles from Bellingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,092
Avg net price $11,795/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northwest Indian College

Bellingham, WA 7.2 miles from Bellingham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,447
Avg net price $3,136/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies Wages Near Bellingham

Bellingham is part of the Bellingham, WA metro area (BLS area code 13380). 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)
General and Operations Managers $125,840 Bellingham, WA $121,820
Management Analysts $84,620 Bellingham, WA $81,917
Human Resources Specialists $78,160 Bellingham, WA $75,663
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $63,570 Bellingham, WA $61,539
Writers and Authors $85,700 WA statewide $82,962
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $102,160 Bellingham, WA $98,896
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $76,530 Bellingham, WA $74,085
Social and Community Service Managers $97,380 Bellingham, WA $94,269

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.

Bellingham at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 92,367 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,821 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 46.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Bellingham-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Bellingham, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Bellingham. The closest is Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA (1.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Skagit Valley College (23.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Bellingham?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Bellingham are: General and Operations Managers ($125,840), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($102,160), Social and Community Service Managers ($97,380). 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 Mount Vernon instead of Bellingham?

Mount Vernon, WA is 24.1 miles from Bellingham and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Bellingham an affordable place to study general studies?

Bellingham’s median household income of $65,821 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bellingham 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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Bellingham

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

Data verified: September 5, 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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